


Doors of the Heart

by KatieHavok, Kemara



Series: Doors [3]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Honeymoon, Just Married, Married Couple, Married Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-16 03:39:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11820453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieHavok/pseuds/KatieHavok, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kemara/pseuds/Kemara
Summary: The newly-married Mr. and Mrs. Scamander enjoy their honeymoon.





	1. In which Mr. and Mrs. Scamander begin their married life AND we meet a dragon.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the third part of the Doors series. You don't need to have read the first two stories: "Close Every Door" and "Open Doors," but it would help. Follow us on Tumblr at [@kemara24](http://kemara24.tumblr.com/) and [@katiehavok](http://katiehavok.tumblr.com/) for updates. 
> 
> We had a lot of fun writing this and meshing our styles. To that end, we're offering our personal song selections. For this chapter:  
> Elvis Presley - [Can’t Help Falling in Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGJTaP6anOU)  
> Metallica - [Nothing Else Matters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAGnKpE4NCI)  
> Ladon’s theme: From “How to Train Your Dragon” - [Not So Fireproof](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RM5SyW_U60)

**July 1**

Tina is first aware of a cool, salt-tinged breeze upon her face, and opens her eyes to discover that she is standing on a beach of bone-colored sand which trails off into placid, dark water.

“What…?”

She turns in her husband’s arms to find him smiling at her gently, green eyes sitting in a nest of happy wrinkles.

“We’re at my publishers' beach cottage,” he explains. “When I was here last month, I realized that this would be the perfect place to get you away for a while, to give you the break you so richly deserve.” He touches her cheek, pushing back a strand of wind-blown hair as a hint of nervousness creeps into his tone. “Is this...alright? We can go someplace else if you’d like. I only meant to surprise you, Tina, but –”

She cuts him off with a kiss, inhaling the trailing end of his words to breathe them back to him on a sigh. His hands fall to her waist, pulling her closer as she deepens the kiss before breaking away to tip her forehead against his.

“It’s fine,” she promises. “I’m delighted you put so much thought into it.” She turns in a slow circle, wobbling when her heels sink into the loose sand before he catches her with a chuckle. She huffs and bends to unbuckle her shoes, intending to take them off to make the walk to the cottage easier – only to shriek delightedly when he scoops her up, settling her into his arms with a smirk.

“Much easier this way, don’t you think?”

Tina leans in to kiss him, cradling his jaw with one hand as the other clutches at his lapel. She can feel his constantly shifting center of gravity as he struggles through the loose sand, so she lays her head on his shoulder to allow him to focus, giggling as he trudges up the strand to their temporary home. The cottage is a tidy building shingled in white, with cheerfully embroidered curtains fluttering in the windows and a bright blue door.

“Oh,” she sighs happily and kisses his neck when he climbs the wide porch steps. “Newt, it’s _beautiful!_ ”

“I’m very glad you approve,” he murmurs, shifting slightly so he can open the door. He finds her eyes as they cross the threshold, and the symbolism of the gesture isn’t lost to Tina. She smiles radiantly when she recalls the last time he had supported her like this, removing her from a hell that wasn't of her own making, and contrasting it with _now_ , carrying her through the open door of their new life together.

“I love you,” she breathes, and kisses him soundly until he sets her on her feet, arms twined around her waist as their lips move together.

“Enough of that,” he eventually murmurs, moving his mouth to her jaw. “Unless you wish to go directly to the bedroom and reveal to me what’s beneath your lovely frock.” He fingers the shoulder of her dove gray wedding dress, and Tina giggles before covering her hand with his own.

“Maybe show me around the place first?” she suggests, smiling when he pretends to pout. “Now, that’s not fair – I’ve never been here, and it’s _my_ honeymoon too. Or did you forget?”

“Right you are, darling,” he concedes, and circles the tip of her nose with his own before stepping back. He takes her hand to show her about the airy cottage, introducing her to the small but well-appointed sitting room, with its generous hearth and red cedar-plank floor, and the full-size kitchen, a space dominated by the cast-iron, six-burner stove and porcelain sink.

Just off the kitchen is the bathroom, a high-ceiled room of white tile and brass fixtures, with a claw-foot bathtub generous enough to fit four people. Newt raises a pointed eyebrow when he sees it, and Tina rolls her eyes playfully before taking his hand, allowing him to lead her to the attached door.

“The bedroom,” he announces, and they share a weighted look before he pushes the door open.

This room too is decorated in light, cool colors. The large bed, piled with fluffy pillows, is made up with a blue, green and white patchwork quilt in a star motif and white sheets. The sight of it makes Tina shiver with a combination of nerves and anticipation. A wide window with white lace curtains looks out over the expanse of sea and sand.

“Queenie sent your things this morning.” Newt kisses her temple as his restless fingers work beneath his starched collar, tugging at his bow tie. “I’ll leave you to get unpacked, shall I? I should make sure my creatures are settled.” He wanders into the bathroom in search of his case, and Tina looks fondly after him before turning back to the bedroom.

Her suitcase is sitting in the center of the bed. She reaches for it and flicks up the latches. As she suspected, it's been enlarged to fit everything for a week-long stay. On top is Newt’s present, wrapped in gold paper. She lays it carefully aside and continues delving.

Next, are two white, lightweight summer dresses that she’s never seen before. Pinned to one of them is a note:  _Teenie, I thought I’d let you choose the colors._ She smiles at the thought of her sister making them in secret after Tina and Newt had gone to bed. _Thanks, Queenie. Those will really come in handy._

She hangs them in the wardrobe and reaches for the next item, a sleeveless cotton gown in a familiar shade of dark blue. Curious, she holds it up, and a slip of parchment flutters to the floor. _Teenie, don’t worry – your favorite silk one is here too, but I thought you’d like this just for a change._ She flushes, imagining what Newt will think and resolves to wear the new one tonight.

The rest of the case holds her potions – only one more dose for the syphilis, thank Morgana, and her weekly dose of contraceptive – toiletries, underwear and a swimming costume that she looks at a bit askance, never having worn one before. _We’ll just see about that!_

She strips and changes into one of the new dresses, transfiguring it to pale pink – leaving off both shoes and undergarments in a fit of daring – before picking up Newt’s present and going in search of him. She finds him on the wide front porch, a constant sea breeze ruffling his ruddy hair. She stops in the doorway to admire the sight of his lean frame clad in tan trousers and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He’s not wearing a waistcoat and she can see the shape of his body through the thin cotton.

He turns and smiles at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “You have everything you need?” He holds out a hand and she goes to him, leaning against his side.

Heavy clouds are rolling in and a gust of wind blows her hair across her face, bringing the smell of salt and fish. “Yeah, Queenie overdid it on the packing. She sent more clothes than I’ll ever wear.” She notices a small, wrapped package on the railing and sets hers beside it.

He raises an eyebrow. “I thought clothing was considered optional during a honeymoon?”

“I hardly think we could go into town in the buff.” She grins up at him. “We’d frighten away the tourists.”

“Not if we used a disillusionment charm.”

She guffaws. “You’ve been hanging around Queenie too long! That’s just the sort of thing she would’ve done at school.”

He eyes her appreciatively from head to toe. “Speaking of clothing....” He reaches out and traces the neckline of her dress. “This is pretty. I like the color on you.”

The breath stutters in her throat. “Thanks.” Suddenly reminded of her lack of underclothing, she resists the urge to grab Newt’s hand and drag him back to that wonderful bed. _Later. There’s plenty of time for that._ “So, I got you a little something.”

He steps back, reluctantly ending the moment. “I have a gift for you as well. Maybe we could sit down?” He gestures to the wooden swing that takes up one shorter side of the porch.

Smiling, Tina takes his hand as they perch, noticing for the first time that his shirt is unbuttoned to mid-chest, displaying sun-kissed skin and a smattering of freckles. She swallows hard, throat suddenly dry, and squirms when she responds viscerally to the sight.

Newt smirks before laying a casual hand on her thigh. “So. Gifts?”

“Oh! Yes…” She watches as he removes the gold paper with deliberate slowness. “Tease…”

He glances up at her from under his fringe. “Yes,” he murmurs and leans in for a lingering kiss. “But _your_ tease.”

She huffs against his lips until he chuckles and releases her, smiling slightly. “Alright, alright…” The paper falls away, and Tina bites her lip as his eyes go wide in awe, trembling fingers brushing the fine, pebbly leather. _”Tina…”_

“Do you like it? You’ve said a few times now that you wished you had a camera, so I thought...Anyways, it takes moving and still pictures, and it’s small enough to fit in your pocket. It comes with a case and everything.”

She’s treated to the sight of him completely unable to speak, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“I...I…Tina, this is….”

She can’t help giggling. “I guess you do, then!”

Newt surges forward, pulling her into his arms to pepper her face with kisses. “Yes. Yes, I do. _Thank_ you.”

Over the water, now roiling with whitecaps, the darkening sky produces a flicker of lightning. Newt presses their cheeks together when they turn as one to watch the approaching storm, his hand stroking slowly down her back. “Makes me feel as though my gift is rather inadequate, to be honest.” He kisses her forehead. “Forgive me, love. I wish I had better for you, but…”

“I have you,” she argues, “and that’s the best gift I could ever hope to receive.”

He hums thoughtfully before reaching for his present, laying the slight, purple-wrapped package in her hands. His smile betrays his nervousness, and as thunder rumbles in the distance, Tina makes quick work of the pretty paper before inhaling sharply, eyes going wide. “Oh, _Newt!_ ”

She lifts the glass terrarium in both hands as Newt pulls the rest of the paper from her lap. Inside it, a tiny blue and gold dragon hovers over a landscape of miniature trees and rocks – even a cave small enough for it to hide in.

“Here, why don’t we let him out so he can stretch his wings?” Newt tenderly wipes away the tears Tina can’t keep back. “It’s the same one you met before, so I think he’ll remember you.” He quirks a smile. “Or she? I suppose it can be whichever you’d like. Dragons are naturally hermaphroditic, after all.”

He reaches into the glass box, hand turned up to allow a perch for the dragon. He huffs a laugh when the small creature sends sparks his way before grudgingly trundling onto his palm, minuscule wings pumping. He lays the beast in Tina’s awaiting hands, where it puts its tail to Newt in obvious dismissal before nuzzling the web of her thumb. She laughs wetly and reaches out to stroke its back.

“You can make him bigger if you like. Not _too_ big. There’s a built-in limitation so we don’t have full-sized dragons terrorizing everyone.” He, too, tries to stroke the creature, which turns its head and snaps at him. Newt laughs and snatches his finger away. “Missed me, you little bugger!”

“Don’t tease him!” Tina chides, laughing wetly. “Maybe just a little bigger, since he’s out here.” She flicks her wand, enlarging the dragon to the size of a crup. She grunts at the sudden weight in her lap before gingerly reaching down to place the dragon on the porch, where it sniffs them both before curling at her feet, snout resting on its tail as it purrs happily. “He’s beautiful. Thank you, so much!” She gives Newt a noisy kiss.

Newt reaches down to stroke a golden pinion. Tina’s new guardian cracks one eye, whuffing in warning before twitching its wing away. It doesn’t snap or growl at him, however, so they chalk it up to a minor victory.

Newt lays his arm around her shoulders, eyes cast over the water where the thunderstorm is gaining strength, purple and red lightning flickering over their skin.

“So what will you name it?” he asks, setting the swing into motion with his bare toes.

Tina rests her head on his shoulder, considering. “Ladon, I think. Let’s call him Ladon. It’s the name of a river god, a guardian of sorts.”

The dragon opens one bright blue eye as if reacting to the sound of his new name and then appears to go back to sleep.

“Perfect! As it so happens, Scamander was also a river god. We had a large book of Greek myths when I was growing up, and Theseus and I often play acted scenes from the Trojan War.”

Tina smiles, a bit wistfully “My favorite book was The Tales of Beedle the Bard. When I was really little I liked The Fountain of Fair Fortune, but after mama and papa died I wanted the resurrection stone – for obvious reasons.”

“I always wanted the cloak,” Newt says lightly. “Even then, I realized the potential it held for getting into and out of situations without trouble. Theseus preferred the Elder Wand.” He rolls his eyes elegantly. “Our father had little patience for children’s stories, but he never discouraged our dreams.”

“I think you’d be a wonderful father,” Tina says. “We haven’t talked about children, and I know we can’t even consider them right now…” She turns her hand in his to show where the marks on her palm are nearly completely gone. “But maybe we could think about it someday?”

Newt makes a gravelly sound, covering her belly with his hands. Tina looks up to find him watching her through heavy eyes. “I would be _delighted_ ,” he intones before kissing the corner of her mouth, “to, at the very least, make the attempt for children.” He cocks his left eyebrow, and Tina inhales sharply at the _heat_ in his gaze, underscored by flickering lightning. “That’s most of the fun, isn’t it? The trying?”

Tina opens her mouth to reply but a crack of thunder directly overhead makes them both jump, Ladon growling warningly at their feet. “Yes, it is. And we can use the time before then to get in lots of practice.”

The sky opens with another rumble of thunder, rain sheeting down so hard the turbulent ocean is obscured from view. Ladon squeaks and half flies, half jumps into Tina’s lap when water blows in on them.

“It’s okay! It won’t hurt you….” She strokes his wing gently, amazed that the creature under her hands isn’t real.

“Rain on one’s wedding day is a sign of good luck and fertility in many cultures,” Newt says, helping Tina to her feet as she cuddles the upset dragon. He squints up at the sky, where the clouds are darkest over the water, before slinging an arm around her waist. “This storm won’t break for a while yet,” he murmurs, nuzzling her neck. “What do you say we go inside and…?”

Lightning flickers, close enough for them to taste it, immediately followed by a heavy crack of thunder. Ladon squeaks unhappily. Tina shushes him by kissing the bony plates on his cranium, allowing Newt to shepherd them into the cottage. “You want to go lay by the fire?” she asks the dragon and is rewarded with a wiggly, dog-like lick.

She giggles and sets him up on the rounded hearthstone, using her wand to start a cheerful fire. Ladon purrs happily before curling up just beside the flames, basking in the radiating warmth and closing his eyes. Tina shrugs while folding her arms across her chest. “Well, that was easy,” she murmurs and smiles slowly at Newt.

He smirks. “Maybe _too_ easy. Let’s go before he changes his mind.” He takes her hand and tugs her, laughing breathlessly, down the hall and into the bedroom.

They wrap around each other to kiss, tripping across the room in a tangle of limbs until Tina sits heavily on the edge of the bed, allowing him to stand over her. She experiences a moment of primordial fear when he reaches out to her; then his hand lands lightly on her shoulder and she turns her forehead into him in thanks, humming before opening his shirt to kiss the plane of his stomach.

Newt drags his fingers over her back and shoulders in senseless patterns as she shoves his shirt off, kissing every cluster of freckles she finds before reaching for the placket of his trousers. He bends to kiss her as she peels them off his hips until he can kick them away, reaching for the hem of her dress. She sighs into his mouth, lifting her hips to allow him to tug it off before hooking her arms around his shoulders to drag him with her when she lays back, swallowing his sharp gasp as they press together, skin-to-skin with nothing between them.

He pushes himself to his knees, reaching out to touch her as his eyes drink her in. The banked heat in her lower belly shimmers back to life as he strokes her hips and waist, taking his time to touch and admire all of her before reaching for her legs. He kisses the crux of her knee, the bulge of her calf, murmuring adorations into her skin before leaning forward to pepper her stomach.

Tina sighs and burrows her fingers in his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp as he presses her thighs apart. He leans forward to suckle her breast as he covers her center with one hand, stroking and flicking before grinding against her in tight circles. His fingers dip between her folds to spread her gathering slickness, focusing his movements until her hips roll beneath him.

Newt hisses when she circles his length, squeezing and stroking as he muffles his sighs in her skin. She waits until her thighs are trembling before sliding her hands to his shoulders, squeezing when he meets her eyes, his fingers slowing. “I don’t want to wait any longer,” she breathes, and gasps when he pulls his fingers from her to suck them clean. “Please…”

“Yes, my love,” he murmurs and runs out his tongue to lick a slow trail up her stomach to her breasts, which he laves individually as she gasps, back arching, hands tugging him insistently over her.

“ _Please,_ ” she says again and moans when he settles lower, cradling her jaw as he meets her eye.

“Is this –?” he begins to ask, only to be cut off when she trembles once before sliding her arms around his shoulders.

“Just kiss me,” she gasps, and he can see the struggle in her eyes so he does until she’s taken with a tremor of a different sort, and her legs twine around his shanks to pull him close. She snakes an arm between them and Newt scrapes his teeth along her jaw when she positions him against herself, twitching her hips invitingly.

“Like this? You’re sure?” he asks, bracing against the mattress.

Tina nibbles his lip while sliding her other hand around to his backside, pinching gently before cupping the curve of his rear, urging him forward. Newt sighs while moving against her, allowing her to guide his way when he sinks in. He waits until her trembling reaches fever pitch before capturing her lips, murmuring, “You’re all right,” when she gasps before pressing their cheeks together.

“Newt…”

He lifts his head to look at her, finding her watching him through wide eyes. She breathes his name again, accompanied by a disbelieving smile. He drops his head when he begins to move, short rolling thrusts that match the constant volley of the storm. Tina clutches at him, fingernails digging into his skin as she locks her ankles over the small of his back, her head falling to the side in ecstatic disbelief.

“That’s it,” Newt sighs when the storm breaks overhead, the crashing of the waves nearly drowning out the sound of their gasps and moans. “Just let me love you…”

Her back bows off the mattress as he moves against her faster, sliding his hands beneath her shoulders to gather her close. She sobs his name, fingers clenching over his back, and he hides his face in her hair to murmur, “I love you, Tina. I love you, _I love you –_ ” over and over until a storm of a different kind breaks and she surges around him, crying out as she crests.

Happy tears burst from his eyes when he follows after, lips pressed to her skin when he’s dragged along in her wake. She wraps around him as they slowly come down, the storm without giving way to steady rain and the peaceful whisper of the ocean when he finally lifts his head.

Tina makes a soft, soothing sound while wiping the salt water off his cheeks, accepting his tears without comment and smoothing her fingers through his hair. “I love you, Mr. Scamander,” she tells him, and clucks when he sniffles wetly before scrubbing at his eyes.

Newt withdraws from her with a low sound, sprawling at her side. She rolls into his embrace when he takes her in his arms, allowing the last of his tears to be absorbed by her hair. He fetches a deep breath after the gentle patter of the rain has lulled them into half-somnolence, and nuzzles her face before regarding her with bright eyes.

“Mrs. Scamander,” he says in awe and smoothes down her hair.

“That’s me,” Tina reminds him in an unsteady voice, and presses her face into the textured skin of his neck when he sighs and closes his eyes.

“Do you think Ladon’s okay?” Tina asks when his breath yaws steadily in her ear.

He chuckles and shakes his head with a rueful smile. “I’m sure the little blighter is _perfectly fine_ ,” he reassures her, and tugs the quilt over them both. “Sleep now, darling. If he needs anything, he’ll come to get us.”

She hums in agreement before settling deeper into the quilt, leaning into his body as her eyes drift closed.

Newt cradles her in his arms, and the dying flicker of the fading storm is the last thing she hears before sleep claims her.


	2. "In Which Mr. Scamander Discovers The Benefits of Scented Soap..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the third part of the Doors series. You don't need to have read the first two stories: "Close Every Door" and "Open Doors," but it would help. Follow us on Tumblr at [@kemara24](http://kemara24.tumblr.com) and [@katiehavok](http://katiehavok.tumblr.com) for updates.
> 
> We had a lot of fun writing this and meshing our styles. To that end, we're offering our personal song selections. For this chapter:  
> Kemara: [Sweet Summer Lovin'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdh3jLP0uKY) \- Dolly Parton  
> Katie Havok: [In Your Eyes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU8OJAOMbPg) \- Peter Gabriel

**July 2**

It’s a combination of the insistent pressure in her bladder and thirst that wakes Tina, pulling her from pleasant dreams of sand and miniature dragons to squint out the window. Color is just starting to show in the eastern sky, and she smiles to herself as she recalls how early they’d gone to bed the night before, and how well she had slept.

_Guess we needed the rest,_ she thinks, recalling the many sleepless nights leading up to their wedding, and shifts her attention to her new husband.

Newt’s face is half hidden in his pillow, his arms wrapped loosely around himself as he snores. She reaches out to run her fingers through his sleep-mussed hair, and he makes a soft snuffling sound before rolling onto his back, eyelashes fluttering as he pulls the quilt to his chin. Amused, Tina indulges in one last pet, relishing the feel of his coarse strands, before hauling herself out of bed.

She hesitates at the doorway connecting the bedroom to the bathroom, the heady joy found in nudity at stark odds with her innate modesty. Biting her lip, she uses her wand to confirm that the entire cottage is under a heavy layer of wards and no-maj repelling spells – impressed by the quality and number of them if she’s being honest – before shrugging and returning her wand to the side table and stepping into the bathroom.

She relieves herself before brushing her teeth, pulling faces in the mirror and giggling with the sheer absurdity of it all. The bar of fine, French-milled soap is pressed into the shape of a seashell, and she sighs happily at the generous lather and light, floral scent as she fills the sink to quickly wash herself.

Her skin is still damp when she pads into the sitting room to check on Ladon. The little dragon is wrapped around the ashy remains of the fire, making small, glassy sounds as he sleeps. She tenderly brushes the spiny ridge on his back, grinning when he opens one eye to look at her sternly before settling back down.

From behind her comes the roar of the toilet flushing, followed by running water. Tina takes a few minutes to stroke and pet her dragon before turning her head, just in time to watch her new husband go stumbling into the bedroom, absently scratching his stomach while crawling into bed.

“He never was much of a morning person,” she tells Ladon, who snorts as if to say, _well, who married him?_  before flicking an ear in obvious dismissal. Giggling, Tina pats him one last time before joining her husband, who’s making a face as he looks at his hands and arms.

“I will _never_ understand the scented soap phenomenon,” Newt grumbles, accepting a kiss on his cheek while reclining against the pillows. “I smell like I’ve been assaulted by an English garden!”

“I kinda like it,” she tells him with a smirk. She presses her face into his neck, inhaling the fragrance of rose and orange blossom, before kissing him teasingly. He hums, the sound reverberating through her lips as he wraps his arms around her.

Tina climbs into his lap to deepen the kiss, tasting tooth powder and Newt’s distinctive flavor on his lips.

“Good morning,” he murmurs when she stops to allow them to breathe, lips quirked. She scratches lightly at his scalp, drinking in the resulting content purr, before covering his face with kisses.

“It’s a good morning now." She sighs happily when calloused hands cover her breasts. He makes a noncommittal sound while squeezing her gently, tweaking her nipples into hard points before sinking deeper into the pillows. Strong hands haul her onto his chest before gliding over her skin, and Tina rolls her head forward to watch his face, his eyes gleaming thoughtfully.

“Sun’s hardly up yet,” Newt muses. “Plenty of time for…”

Tina wiggles her hips while showing a smirk. “Plenty of time for lots of things,” she whispers, and twists her fingers into his hair. “So, what do you propose we do to… _pass_ the time?”

Newt’s eyes travel up and down her body, lingering on her breasts and hips while he touches his tongue to his upper lip. His hands tighten, urging her closer until he can scrape her inner thigh with his stubble, smirking up at her.

“I can think of a few things,” he drawls, and presses a line of light kisses into her skin. “But only if you’re willing, my love.”

She winds her fingers into his hair, holding on tightly as the first tendrils of heat curl through her. “What were you thinking?”

He tugs her even further up his chest in answer, until her thighs cradle his head and he’s looking at her past her stomach and breasts. She gasps when he lifts his chin to pepper her extreme inner thigh before pressing his lips to her mound. Tina clings to his head when his strong hands position her over him, allowing him to cover her outer lips with kisses, until she can feel herself growing slick and warm with his attentions.

Newt meets her eyes, his gaze hungry. “Can I have you like this?” His voice is muffled by her sex, and she shivers at the sensual feel of his mouth before nodding. He blinks slowly while spreading his fingers over the curve of her hips, his thumbs gently parting her folds. “Then move how you need to, darling. Make yourself feel good.”

Tina hisses when he drags his tongue over her lazily, delving into her before swirling languidly around the pearl of her clit. She moves one hand to the headboard to brace herself, the other snagged in his hair when it does it again before _rolling_ his tongue over her, causing her to pant his name. Newt’s hands slide to cradle the swell of her bottom as he settles on long, teasing strokes that make her mewl, her hips rolling rhythmically against his tongue.

Her head falls back with a moan when his tongue flicks in counterpoint to her movements, occasionally abandoning her clit to push deep inside her before resuming his steady strokes. Heat and pleasure build as she fists his hair, tugging hard enough to make him whine. His tongue remains steadfast however, and he holds it stiff when she twitches herself to orgasm, thighs clenching around his head as his strong arms support her.

She comes back to herself with a gasp, releasing his hair to pet him apologetically while looking down. His eyes are heavy when they meet hers, satisfied on her behalf.

Tina makes to move off him after a few moments but he squeezes her legs, effectively keeping her in place as his tongue resumes pressing against her, more insistently this time.

She cries out when overstimulated nerves snap warningly, poised on the verge of revolt, only for him to back off long enough to allow her to calm. He does it again, prodding her to the edge before easing away, and again until she’s once more tugging his roots, a sheen of desperate sweat coating her body as she strains for completion.

“Newt,” she whimpers, and drops her head to meet his eyes. _”Newt…”_

His gaze fixes unflinchingly on hers when he wraps his lips around her and suckles, hard enough to collapse his cheeks. His tongue swirls at the same time and she shouts once, short and sharp, before sobbing, legs and stomach quivering when she’s swept away by the most _intense_ orgasm she’s ever known. It goes on and on until her muscles loosen all at once and she sags over him, his arms trembling where they hold her up.

Tina needs a long moment to gather her wits, arms and legs spasming as she slumps against him, trusting him not to let her fall. She can feel him panting beneath her, warm breath suffusing her overheated center. She’s still jelly-limbed and weak when she crawls off him, sprawling on her back as he puts an arm around her.

“Are you alright?” Newt sounds genuinely worried. She laughs breathlessly before turning her head to kiss him.

“I am… _beyond_ all right,” she promises, head still spinning as she tastes herself on his lips. “That was...I’ve never...I didn’t even know –!”

“Have I rendered you _speechless_ , Mrs. Scamander?” He sounds equal parts shocked and smug, his eyes languid and feline when he pulls her close. Something hot and hard presses against the soft swell of her hip as they slot together, and she reaches back to stroke him lazily, revelling in the way his mouth tightens at the feel of her hand.

Newt moans while leaning his forehead on her shoulder, hooking his elbow beneath her leg as Tina angles her hips to line them up. “Can we do it like this?” she asks, tingling with renewed anticipation.

He looks pleasantly surprised when he lifts his head, gaping for a moment before kissing her deeply.

“We can try,” he murmurs, sliding a hand down her side to her hip. The other, he threads beneath her neck and over her opposite shoulder to touch her breasts in teasing strokes. He kisses her when he takes himself in hand, catching her eye with a mumbled, “You’re sure?” and waiting for her to gasp in the affirmative before slipping inside. The novel angle allows him to hit every sensitive spot, and she moans loudly before she can stop herself, thighs already trembling as she skirts the edge.

_“Merlin,”_ Newt chokes, and his fingers bite into her skin when he withdraws only to thrust back in, hard enough for the shock wave to ripple through her breasts. He clamps her nipple between two fingers as he rolls his hips into her, sliding his hand down her front to frig her in tight circles.

Tina fists the sheets and angles her leg to take him deeper, gasping when he nips her neck and shoulder. Newt growls as his hips snap, his arm trembling where it wraps around her. She reaches down to gently push his hand away from her center, where her overstimulated clit is almost numb from his enthusiastic attention, and threads their fingers together instead.

Newt squeezes her hand nearly hard enough to pop the joints, and that pleasant pain is the counterpoint she needs to surge over the edge, mewling his name as she quivers around him. His teeth scrape the column of her neck when he fills her one last time before going still, growling deep in his throat. She moans as he fills her with liquid heat, his breath stuttering as they slump together.

“Well,” Newt whispers hoarsely. “I suppose I don’t mind smelling as though I were ambushed by shrubbery, if this is the result!”

Tina’s laughs at the non-sequitur, hard enough to push him from her body. He grunts at the sudden shock of exposure, which only serves to make her laugh harder, before rolling away. His movements are slow and heavy when he cleans them, casting a refreshing charm to allow their humor a chance to ebb. They share a relieved sigh when the sweat evaporates and cool air swirls throughout the bedroom.

“We should open a window,” Newt murmurs, reclining next to her. “It smells very… _distinctive_ in here. Earthy.”

She snorts at his euphemisms before brandishing her wand. “Your nose has always been better than mine, so I’ll take your word for it.”

The window opens with a lazy flick of her wrist, and they take deep breaths of the humid, salt-tinged air. The sun is well and truly up now, slanting brightly through the windows. Tina turns to admire the way it plays over Newt’s hair and freckles before reaching out to trace his smiling profile.

“Are you happy, darling?”

Tina considers him while drawing a fingertip down the aristocratic buttress of his nose, ending with a thoughtful brush of his lips. “I am,” she tells him with a grin. “Very much so. But...I need a drink. I meant to get one when I got up earlier, but then I saw you and…”

“And you decided I was simply too _irresistible_ to ignore,” he teases with a toothy grin. “So you came back to bed and _flung_ yourself at me.” Tina honestly can’t deny that assessment, so she flashes an innocent smile and shrugs one shoulder. He stretches languidly before kissing the tip of her nose, his eyes bright. “Would you like me to fetch you a glass of water, love?”

“Mmmm, please.” Newt kisses her again, taking his time with it, pinching her bottom lip between his teeth before pulling away.

“My pleasure,” he murmurs, but Tina thinks the pleasure is all hers when she is treated to the sight of her husband’s firm, rounded bottom and fine, strong back walking away from her, as freckled as the rest of him and toned in the sun.

He returns in a moment with a full glass, and she is gifted with the equally delightful vision of her husband from the front.

“Here you go.” He hands her the water and climbs back onto the bed. She snuggles against him as they watch the sun climb the now-placid sea.

“Thanks.” Tina takes a sip and wrinkles her nose at the slightly salty taste. “So, what’re we doing today?”

Newt idly strokes the length of her arm as he considers. “What about a walk on the beach and then breakfast? As appealing as the idea is, we can’t spend _all_ our time in bed. And you’re probably going to be a bit sore, love.”

She grins at him. “Worth it, I think….a much better way to wake up than an alarm clock!” Reluctantly she leaves the cocoon of his arms and gets to her feet. She stretches languidly, arms above her head. “Will your creatures be okay until we get back?”

“They….they should be….” Newt stutters, his train of thought derailed at the sight. He stands and gives her a quick kiss. “Although, if you keep that up, we’ll never leave this room.”

“Keep what up?” she asks with a coy smile. “I’ll be ready in a minute.” She wanders into the bathroom, glancing back at him teasingly.

Newt restrains himself from following her. _Plenty of time for that, old boy. You’ve got all week._ He dresses swifty in a short-sleeved bush shirt and yesterday’s trousers before wandering into the kitchen and finding the kettle.

He carries his cup of tea – and Tina’s coffee – outside and finds Ladon perched on the porch railing, preening his feathers. “Good morning. Aren’t you a bit big to be up there?” He puts out a hand, and the dragon deigns to sniff it before turning back to its ablutions, golden claws sunk deep into the wood to keep its balance.

“I guess he doesn’t hate you completely,” Tina teases, joining them. Ladon greets her with a happy trill, rubbing against her like a cat. “Yes, good morning to you, too.”

“For which I am very grateful.” Newt passes her the coffee. “I admit I’m impressed at the spells used in his creation. Dragons are fiercely loyal to those they consider part of their clan – and protective.”

Tina smiles and strokes one of Ladon’s azure wings. “He’s certainly both of those!"

They sip their drinks in comfortable silence, watching the waves as the sun travels higher. After a while, Newt sets his empty cup on the railing and holds out a hand. “Shall we?”

“Can Ladon come with us?”

He shrugs. “I don’t see why not. We’ll see anyone else in time to hide him.”

Tina sets the dragon on the ground and takes Newt’s hand. As they step onto the cool, white beach, Ladon flaps ahead of them excitedly.

Newt leads them down to the water’s edge, bare toes curling into the packed sand as the waves crash over their feet. Tina soaks in the sunshine and the scent of salt, Newt’s fingers solid and warm against hers.

They’re about a quarter of a mile up the beach, nearing the boundaries of the protective wards if the tingling in her skin is any indication, when Ladon squeaks unhappily and bolts into Newt’s arms. He grunts as he catches the miniature dragon, glancing down at it through wide eyes before looking ahead of them, his expression turning curious and clinical.

Tina follows his gaze, only to experience an atavistic shiver of revulsion at the sight that greets her.

Large, armored creatures trundle aimlessly over the beach, their heavy, insect-like bodies giving way to a long, lethal-looking tail. They lay scattered atop each other, crawling seemingly without heed into and out of the waves. A few of them have flipped onto their broad backs, their many legs wiggling madly as they attempt to right themselves.

Tina takes a quick step back, disgust souring her stomach. “Newt...what _are_ those things?”

_“Limulus polyphemus,”_ he murmurs thoughtfully, and passes the trembling dragon to her. “Go to Mummy now, Ladon.”

She takes Ladon’s comforting weight into her arms, allowing Newt to move closer to the creatures. He walks with an easy, rolling gait, approaching the overturned beasts to gently flip them before standing over the cluster.

“They’re horseshoe crabs,” he tells her, and squats to get a closer look. “I promise you, they are perfectly harmless and docile creatures, if rather frightful looking.”

Cautious fingers stroke the slimy-looking carapace of one, and Tina shudders delicately before forcing herself to take a step closer. “What are they doing?” she asks her husband. “Why are they all piled up like that?”

He looks up with an easy grin, green eyes flashing. “They’re mating,” he informs her, pointing to where a single large crab is surrounded by several smaller ones. “See the female there? She lays her eggs in the sand, the males fertilize them, then they all go their separate ways.” Newt stands to rinse his hands in the water before murmuring a cleansing spell. “An effective method of reproduction, if a rather clinical one.”

Tina experiences a profound sense of relief when he returns to her side, his eyes bright. “I find I much prefer the human way,” he murmurs, and presses a kiss to her temple. “Let’s go around them, shall we?”

“Yes, please,” she says, and allows him to shepherd her past the throng of crabs, until they’ve reached the boundary of the protective wards and they can see clusters of No-Maj’s setting up picnics along the beach. “Do you want to go through? Or would you rather go back?”

“Let’s go back the other way and see how far the boundary extends,” Newt suggests.

The layer of wards and protective spells extend another quarter mile past the cottage in the opposite direction. Newt smiles broadly at this discovery, and points to a rocky neck of land extending out from the beach into the waves. It sits comfortably above the water, featuring sand and what looks like scrub grass, dwindling to a point a few hundred feet out.

“Have you ever been fishing, love?”

Tina whistles to recall a curious Ladon, who’s inspecting the rocky outcropping, before stepping into the waves. “I don’t think I have unless I was too young to remember it,” she admits, and closes her eyes as the water comes up to her knees, cooling her off. “But I’d love to try it, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Newt slides his arm around her waist, steadying her against the rhythmic crash of the waves. “That’s precisely what I had in mind,” he murmurs and points over the water. “There’s some wonderful species of fish here. Lobster and crab too, as well as oysters and mussels. I know you can’t eat those, but the ocean here has a diverse bounty, if one knows how to utilize it.”

“Which we both know you do,” Tina murmurs, and kisses his cheek. Her stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, reminding them both that they haven’t had breakfast.

He takes her hand. “Come, love. Let’s go eat.” He shows a smile while squinting into the cloud-free sky. “Perhaps after breakfast, we can make use of our private beach. I’d quite like to go swimming, if you’re amenable…”

“I don’t know...” Tina teases. “I’m not much of a swimmer, and that swimming costume is rather…”

“Private beach,” Newt enunciates clearly while kissing the back of her neck. “Who said _anything_ about bathing suits?”

He laughs when she goggles at him, before taking her hand to tow her up the strand, a faithful and curious Ladon trailing happily behind them.

* * *

Newt descends into his case to attend to his creatures as Tina stares down the stove, nibbling her lip worriedly before deciding on using some simple magic to prepare their breakfast. Ladon wraps himself around her shoulders, purring soothingly as she fetches cream, butter and eggs from the generously stocked ice box. There’s a round of English cheddar wrapped in cheesecloth tucked into a cool corner, so she cuts off a generous chunk to shred into their scrambled eggs.

Ladon helps to toast thick slices of Jacob’s bread, growling happily at being useful. Tina grins broadly as she carries the simple breakfast – which she’s managed not to burn – onto the sun-drenched porch, pouring cold glasses of pumpkin juice and hot cups of tea while she waits.

Newt joins her soon after, and they eat with their bare feet propped on the low porch railing. They drink a full carafe of juice between them, and finish the pot of tea as they allow their food to digest, soaking up the sun and sand and their easy companionship until Newt takes her hand to toy with her fingers.

“Are you truly opposed to swimming?” he asks abruptly, a worried frown wrinkling his forehead.

Tina lifts his hand to kiss her knuckles soothingly. “Not...really,” she says slowly. “I just haven’t been since I was very young. I’m not sure I remember how.” She chooses _not_ to comment on how revealing the cut of her swimming suit seems to be, realizing that it would make him even more intent on getting her into it.

“You can wade up to your knees,” Newt reassures her. “I was in these waters when I was searching for the sea serpent, and I can promise that they are calm and quite warm. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, I think.”

She feels her eyebrows creep into her hairline. “You know how to swim?”

Newt smirks. “Of course I know how to swim,” he confirms, “though I didn’t pack a swim costume when I came here the first time, and was therefore forced to improvise.”

“...Improvise.” She isn’t sure she wants to know the details, all-too-aware of her husband’s attitude toward clothing. True to his nature, Newt’s smirk deepens into something truly devilish, white teeth flashing.

“Yes.” He gestures to his sun-kissed chest while dropping a wink. “Didn’t you wonder how it came to be that my tan is so _unbroken_ , darling?” Her mouth falls open, and he leans in to kiss her. “Don’t worry, Tina. I’m sure Queenie made something appropriate for you to wear, seeing as she constructed something suitable for me.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Tina grumbles, and uses her wand to clean up the breakfast dishes. “Okay! We can swim, but I’m wearing my suit _the entire time_ , and I expect you to do the same.” She crosses her arms, expression mock-stern. “We aren’t going to run around like heathens. At least not today!”

“No promises for tonight, though,” Newt murmurs, and kisses her deeply while pulling her into the house, his mouth filled with laughter.

* * *

Tina bites her lip nearly hard enough to draw blood as she scrutinizes her reflection, fingers twisting nervously in the hem of her bathing suit.

The two-piece garment is _short_ , the bottom half revealing the entirety of her pale legs and thighs, with just enough fabric to cover her modesty. The top extends down to the swell of her bottom but the cotton jersey fits her like a second skin, revealing every dimple and curve and even the ridge of her nipple.

She can admit that it doesn’t look bad, the contrasting dove-grey and navy stripes a compliment to her fair skin; it’s just far, _far_ less than material than even her underclothes, without the benefit of stockings, and she isn’t sure she’ll be able to step out of the house like _this_.

“I have something for you, love,” Newt murmurs while stepping into the bedroom. His eyes are on the small tin he holds, filled with a thick white goop. Tina gasps at his swimming attire, which consists of a pair of slightly loose blue trunks, belted securely around his narrow waist, and nothing else. He looks up at the sound, babbling on about sunburn and zinc oxide until he cuts himself off, his eyes going wide. _”Merlin’s beard!”_

He sounds as though the wind’s been knocked out of him, eyes raking hungrily over her from head to toe before settling on her face. Tina cringes under the weight of his gaze while smoothing down the front of her suit. “So...I take it you like it?” She hopes desperately that the nervous tremor in her voice doesn’t give her away.

Newt sets down the tin, slowly moving closer to stop just short of arm's reach. “The more appropriate question, I think,” he murmurs, “is whether _you_ like it. Are you comfortable like this, darling?”

Tina steps into him, cupping his jaw. “I’m not sure,” she admits, and catches his eye. “Will you kiss me, please?”

He does with tender eagerness, sliding his arms loosely around her waist, one broad hand smoothing reassuringly over the small of her back as he drinks from her lips. She feels herself calming in his embrace, lazy heat making her nipples tingle into points until he releases her to kiss her cheek and jaw, his gaze soft and worshipful.

“You are absolutely _stunning_ , my Tina,” he murmurs, and gently cups the swell of her bottom before sliding his hands into the notch of her waist. “Make no mistake of it, love. I am honored to see you like this.”

Ladon noses into the room with a curious squeak, pooling at their feet to look up at her before huffing gently.

“What do you think?” Newt asks the dragon, who turns to him with a flick of his ear. “Does Mummy look radiant to you?” The little beast wiggles its bottom in a curious sign of agreement before trundling from the room, tail curling lazily in the air. “I suppose we’ll take that as a yes, you rude little blighter!”

She giggles, welcoming the release of tension, while Newt reaches for the tin. His hands are gentle when he rubs the white zinc into her skin, paying careful attention to her face, shoulders and the back of her neck. “We wouldn’t want you to burn,” he says while ruefully touching his pink nose, and allows her to return the favor before waving his hand. Thick towels, a blanket, a large straw boater and a picnic basket whiz across the cottage to them.

Tina smiles at her husband, taking his arm and inwardly delighting at his preparedness when he clamps the hat onto her head. “Shall we?”

“Yes, let’s,” Newt confirms, and they hesitate only a moment before stepping over the threshold and into the sun, welcoming the gentle breeze and the hiss of the waves, the feel of sand between their toes and the fishy, salt-tanged air.

They spend the afternoon frolicking in and around the ocean. Ladon chases the waves back and forth until one swamps him and bowls him over in a mess of water, sand and snorting dragon. After that, he stays well away from the water. Newt finds a stick of driftwood, tossing it high into the air or skimming it far down the beach for the little creature to catch. After a dozen repetitions of this, Newt charms the stick to randomly change direction and height after being subdued.

“I think he could do that for hours,” Tina says from where she’s gathering a pile of interesting shells beside the blanket.

Newt drops down beside her, wiping sweat from his forehead. “I don’t doubt it.” He opens the picnic basket and takes out the camera Tina gave him as a wedding present.

“Just don’t let it get wet,” she warns, watching as he removes it carefully from the black leather case.

He smiles at her. “That’s what magic is for, love. Don’t worry.” He opens the back of the camera and inserts a roll of film as Tina watches curiously.

“Have you used one before? MACUSA has a couple to record crime scenes, and they’re really useful.”

“Once or twice. A fellow I met in Egypt last year who had one and he let me try it out. That’s when I knew I wanted one.” He closes the camera and studies the dials. “This is nicer than his, though.”

Tina beams. “I love your drawings, but I thought this would be quicker. The shop owner suggested a flash cube, but I didn’t think creatures would appreciate a burst of light.”

“No indeed! Magic can help with extra light after the picture is taken.” He raises the camera and turns toward her.

“Newt, no!” Tina flushes and holds up a hand to ward him off.

He lowers the camera but doesn’t set it aside, eyeing her carefully. “Please, Tina? I promise that you and I will be the only people who see them. I wish only to capture forever my beautiful wife on our honeymoon…” He pouts, lower lip pushed out playfully.

Tina feels herself softening against her better judgement.

“Well…” she says slowly. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt…” She glances at him worriedly. “I’m just afraid that you will think _less_ of me for it. It’s ridiculous, I know, but –”

Newt leans in to cut her off with a tender kiss. “If I haven’t proven by now that _nothing_ could taint my perception of you, love, then it’s a failure on my part.” He kisses her again, lips lingering as he reaches up to smooth his fingers along the braids she’s put in her hair. “May I please take your photograph, darling?”

“Yes,” she sighs, and reaches up to discover that he’s woven flowers into her hair – roses by the feel, just as in her bridal bouquet.

She wears a small, secret smile as he snaps the photographs. They take a few with her wearing her hat, and a few without; Newt uses two fingers to whistle piercingly for Ladon, who comes on the fly, and is as well-behaved as a good dog when Newt photographs Tina and her dragon frolicking on the beach.

Newt kisses her again before taking one last series of photographs – these ones from up close, and very nearly intimate in feel and pose. Then he hands the camera over, and she captures him diving into the waves, and reclined on the blanket, and one ethereal picture with the sun in his hair, his bright eyes and smile all for her.

“Thank you, darling,” he breathes after tucking the camera away. She kisses him instead of answering, and tugs him into the water, where they swim and splash like overgrown children until he tips their foreheads together as the sun sets behind them, sinking colorfully into the sea.

They eat sandwiches made with Jacob’s hearty bread and Queenie’s roast chicken beneath the sprawl of the stars, passing a bottle of good white wine between them as Ladon curls happily around their feet. The little dragon even deigns to allow Newt to pet him, and he grins while helping Tina to her feet and magicking the blanket and picnic basket back to the cottage.

Tina sets Ladon up with a sleeping fire while letting Newt use the bathroom for his evening toilette. She brushes her teeth quickly before using a spell to scrub away the worst of the sand and salt, smiling gently at her pinkened cheeks and shoulders before stripping off her bathing suit to crawl naked into bed, where her husband waits for her with open arms.

She falls asleep to the feel of his fingers in her hair, stroking her as he breathes adorations into her skin.


	3. In which Mrs. Scamander discovers the New England phenomenon that is the crab boil.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newly-married Mr. and Mrs. Scamander enjoy their honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the third part of the Doors series. You don't need to have read the first two stories: "Close Every Door" and "Open Doors," but it would help. Follow us on Tumblr at [@kemara24](http://kemara24.tumblr.com) and [@katiehavok](http://katiehavok.tumblr.com) for updates.
> 
> We had a lot of fun writing this and meshing our styles. To that end, we're offering our personal song selections. For this chapter:  
> Stone Sour - [Say You’ll Haunt Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEn-nTkbEM0)  
> Van Morrison - [Into the Mystic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEvsDuJYEnI)

**July 3**

Newt wakes just as the sun is cresting the horizon, bright morning light turning his eyelids into hazy red screens until he rolls to hide his face in the pillow. Tina is a warm and sleepy weight beside him, and he takes a moment to admire the play of sunlight over her pinkened cheeks and shoulder – colored by the sun and the sand – before touching her reverently.

She makes a soft noise while rolling away from him. Newt bites his cheek to contain his laughter before pulling himself from the bed, padding into the bathroom to perform his morning ablutions. He checks on her one last time, finding her deeply asleep still before slipping into his case to attend to his creatures.

Dougal, Pickett and the Niffler all cleave to him as soon as his feet touch the floor. Newt attends to them each individually until they are satisfied, smiling all the while. He feeds and sorts the remaining creatures, stroking and petting as needed, and ensures they are happy before securing the case behind him.

Tina has shifted since he left their bed, her breathing lighter and shorter now. He slides between the sheets to take her into his arms, only for her to stir, tightening his hold as her mouth finds his. They kiss, lips pressed together sweetly, hands searching skin until she makes a hungry sound and rolls atop him. She is still sleep-warm above him, hair beautifully mussed, and he traces her curves as she touches him in fleeting brushes before his finger finds her damp center and she sighs, rocking against him.

“Want you like this,” she breathes and lines them up. He nods when she catches his eye questioningly, biting his lip as she sinks onto him with a chesty groan. Tina takes a moment to adjust to the feel of him, draping over his chest to kiss him deeply before rolling her hips, swallowing his sigh. He’s careful not to put too much pressure on her sunburnt skin when he slides his hands to her waist, where he squeezes her hips as she rocks faster.

“Yes, please, do that,” Tina gasps when he lifts his hips into her, meeting her halfway. She thrusts onto him particularly hard and he surges upright to kiss her, holding her close as he trails kisses down her throat before sucking tiny marks into her skin.

Newt moans when she clenches around him, thrusting even through his orgasm to see her satisfied. They cling to each other afterward, kissing breathlessly until he lays her down, laying his ear over her breast to hear the steady beating of her heart. She runs her fingers through his hair, petting the nape of his neck before tracing the freckles dotting his shoulder. “I love you.”

Tina lifts her head to kiss the tip of his nose. “I love you, too,” she says and twines a strand of his hair around her finger. “I also _really_ love breakfast,” she muses, “and coffee.”

He hides his chuckle in the swell of her breast, suckling it before climbing to his hands and knees. “I _can_ take a hint,” he teases and slips into yesterday's swim trunks before kissing her lingeringly. “I’ll bring you breakfast in bed,” he murmurs and touches her cheek. “Stay here, love. I’ll be back soon.”

“Even _I’m_ not crazy enough to argue with that,” Tina agrees and snuggles into the pillows to wait for him.

* * *

Newt prepares them fried egg sandwiches, gooey with sharp English cheddar and served on the last of Jacob’s bread. He notes the dwindling supplies of their breakfast foods and other items and scribbles out a quick list before conjuring a tray and returning to the bedroom.

They eat reclined against the stack of pillows, skin pressed together, making appreciative noises as they lick their fingers clean. They drain the carafe of pumpkin juice before magically refilling it, and put a substantial dent in the second measure before Tina stretches sensuously, making Newt’s mouth go dry as he watches.

“Coffee?” Tina asks with a hopeful smile. Newt playfully rolls his eyes before passing over her light dressing robe.

“Outside, please. We can’t spend the entire day in bed.”

She grumbles but follows him out to the porch, where he passes her a cup. Ladon streaks out the door to gambol around the beach, and their cups steam into the crisp morning air as they watch the waves crash ashore.

“We should venture into town today,” he tells her. “Some of our supplies are running low. There are things I grow we can eat, but I’ve learned that one should enjoy local cuisine whenever possible.” He takes a hefty sip of tea.

“So what do we need for our expedition?” Tina asks while they watch Ladon chase seagulls – try as he might, he can’t catch one. “Do you have fishing poles?” She jumps up, taking the few steps down to the beach. “Ladon, no!”

The little dragon, frustrated at his lack of success, lets out a second jet of flame on the tail of a seagull. The bird squawks indignantly and launches itself into the air.

“Bad dragon!” Tina scoops him up and carries him, grumbling, back to the porch. “We don’t need roasted seagull, thanks.”

Laughing, Newt pours himself a second cup of tea. “To answer your question, I have three fishing rods and a canoe. I think….” He considers the overcast sky and grey, rolling breakers. “We would be better off fishing from the sandbar today. If you’d like, we can go out on a boat tomorrow as long as the weather clears.”

Tina nods. “That might be fun! Maybe your sea serpent will show up and you can get a picture of it. Her.” She glances at him sidelong. “I guess I have competition for your affections now, huh?”

“Never!” He feigns shock before reaching out to trace her rings. “No mere sea serpent could compare to you, Mrs. Scamander.”

She balls up her napkin and tosses it at him. “Flatterer!”

New catches it in midair, smirking. “Actually, there are a few extra things we can buy in addition to our catch tonight, so we can take care of both things at once.”

“Okay…” Tina swirls the remaining liquid in her mug while staring into it. “Is the town very far?”

“We can walk there easily.” Newt watches her with sharp eyes before squeezing her hand. “What is it, love? You’re upset about something – I can tell.”

She snorts. “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?” She threads their fingers in return.

He frowns slightly. “I don’t mean to pry if it’s something you would prefer to keep to yourself.”

“No! It’s stupid…” Tina squirms a bit, feeling her face heat. He waits patiently until she adds, “Town will be pretty crowded, won’t it? I mean, we saw all the tourists yesterday on the beach.”

“Ah!” New gives her a gentle smile. “If we go ahead, I shouldn’t think it will be this early.”

Tina lets out her breath in relief. “Let’s go then! I’ll shrink Ladon and put him in his habitat until we get back.”

Ten minutes later, dressed and armed with a shopping basket and their list, they set off down the simple track bordered by tall sea grass that takes them to the main road and into town.

The town consists of a cluster of slat-sided buildings, dressed in natural cedar that’s been weathered a stately silvery-grey or painted cheerful white. The cobblestone streets have been bleached by the powerful sun to the color of an old undergarment, and neatly trimmed slough grass grows between the quaint buildings.

Tina looks around, drinking in the sight and marveling over how different it all is from the hustle and filthy bricks of New York City.

As Newt predicted, very few people are in evidence and those who appear to be locals. Their first stop is a tiny shack crowded with fishing rods, bait and tackle.

Newt approaches the man behind the counter. “Good morning! Can you tell us where we might rent a boat for tomorrow?”

The man squints at him through kind but rheumy eyes. “You want Old Woman Josie for that, down at the docks. She should be back from tending her pots by now. Look for the red one with a white crab on the side.”

Newt inclines his head politely. “Thank you.”

Tina waited until they were back outside to ask, “Pots?”

“Crab pots – baskets or cages you drop into the water to catch crabs,” Newt says. “I’ll put out a few tonight. I haven’t had crab in years.” He looks around. “Perhaps I’d better see about the boat and let you handle the list so we can be done faster.”

She hesitates, glancing around at the nearly deserted tourist district before steeling her nerves. “Good idea. Meet you back here?”

“Yes.” He gives her a quick kiss and heads off in the direction of the docks, leaving her staring after him with a smile on her face.

_A kiss in public where anyone can see?_ _Not that there’s anyone around to see, but still. I wonder how else you’re going to surprise me, husband?_ Still smiling, Tina scans the row of shops and spots a greengrocer at the end of the block.

“Can I help you, dear?”

The grocer is a kindly-looking older lady, her grey eyes sparkling behind her spectacles. Tina brandishes her list like a shield, and the kindly matron helps her only customer pick out long ears of native sweet corn, waxy potatoes and green beans, a bunch of wild onion, a flat box of salt and the sweetest local butter, keeping up a steady stream of soothing chatter all the while.

Tina chews her lip worriedly as she considers the issue of seasoning before the grocer hands her a jar of red powder. “This is our local blend, dearie,” she tells Tina. “My husband and I make it, and it’s quite popular. Use it on your catch, a salad, whatever you’d like. It tastes quite good on a steak, too, if I do say so myself.”

Money is just changing hands when the bell above the shop door jangles merrily. Newt sidles up to her, murmuring, “Hello, darling,” while sliding his hand into the small of her back. He carries her bags outside like a gentleman, calling a pleasant goodbye to the shopkeeper before using a slick bit of magic to shrink her parcels down. He stashes them safely away before leaning in to kiss her. “Did you miss me?”

She appears to give it a great deal of consideration, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I suppose I did,” she finally admits and takes his hand to lead him deeper into the maze of shops. “So did you have success with the fishing boats?”

“I did,” Newt answers, and something in his tone makes her glance at him sharply. He smirks at her, completely unabashed. “I also have a surprise for you when we return to the cottage, my dear.”

She gives him a narrow-eyed look. “Is this something I have to actively worry about? Did you find a kraken or something on the edge of the beach, and decide to take it home to recuperate it?”

Newt bursts into laughter. “Nothing like that,” he gasps while mopping at his leaking eyes. “I just found something that I thought you might like, that’s all.” He squeezes her hand as they begin to walk again, his laughter fading when he turns to her seriously. “I don’t mean to alarm you. I promise you, it’s perfectly innocuous, and it has nothing to do with creatures or my case.”

“I believe you,” she reassures him and threads their fingers as they walk.

A sign catches her eye, and she tugs him into a small, shingled building that boasts an ice cream parlor on one side, and a variety of penny candies and fudge on the other. The sweet shop is tucked between two nice-looking restaurants, and Newt waits until he’s paid for their purchases – a large sack of candy and more than two pounds of assorted fudge – before asking, “How would you feel about returning tomorrow evening?”

Tina looks at him curiously while nibbling a piece of toffee. He reaches out to take her hand, squeezing her fingers gently as they put the village to their backs. “I’d like to take you to dinner, and then perhaps some ice cream if you’re willing.”

“I’d like that,” she admits and turns to pop a piece of candy into his mouth before kissing him, tasting chocolate and caramel on his tongue. “Thank you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” he murmurs and slides his arm around her waist as their make their companionable way back to the cottage.

* * *

Newt’s surprise turns out to be a five-pound sack of hot dogs, procured from a local kosher butcher. Tina squeals happily while throwing her arms around his shoulders, kissing him ringingly before secreting them away in the icebox.

“Lunch!” she declares happily, and her eyes positively glow as she inspects his other packages.

There’s a variety of beef and veal sausages that Tina recognizes as bratwurst, as well as a few made with chicken. Newt also produces various cuts of meat with a flourish, telling her that he’ll store them in his case for both personal and creature usage.

“I do appreciate a nice steak every now and then,” he comments while wrapping a side of meat in butcher paper, and Tina remembers the seasoning blend the greengrocer had given her. She gathers it along with everything else to make the trek down into the case, where they store everything before gathering what they need for their beach picnic.

“Fishing poles,” Newt mumbles while summoning the items in question. “Crab pots, nets, pans for cooking...Tina, would you mind popping into the cave and fetching a bottle or two of wine?”

“Um.” Tina feels her eyebrows creeping into her hairline. “Wine? Cave?”

Newt blinks at her. “Yes, love. Surely I’ve shown you…?” She shakes her head, and he sets down his fishing implements to take her hand. “Come along, then,” he teases. “Let me show you where most of the Scamander wealth lies.”

He smirks at her from over his shoulder while leading them through the cave housing the Runespoor, venturing deeper into the rocky terrain. “You may be pleasantly surprised, I think. A proper Englishman _always_ travels with his preferred beverages!”

Tina giggles, only for her mouth to fall open when they step into a warded-off niche laden with hundreds, perhaps _thousands_ of bottles of wine in all shapes and sizes. “What…?” she gasps, catching herself when she stumbles over a pile of casks. “Newt, what _is_ this?”

“Wine,” he answers as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He gestures around. “I’ve got varietals from France, Belgium, Spain, Italy...I also have a few bottles of champagne, perhaps we can indulge in those tomorrow evening?” He shrugs a little nervously. “I’m sure I meant to break those out on our wedding night, but…”

“Our own wine cave,” Tina muses. “I would never have guessed.” She gently nudges one of the small casks with her foot. “What are these? More wine?”

“No, love,” Newt says with an unmistakable, almost paternal pride, and gently leads her away from the barrel. “That is only the _finest_ Irish stout. Like I said: a good Englishman _travels with_ his preferred beverages.”

“I guess they do,” she giggles and looks around. “Speaking of beer, you have anything of the German or Polish variety, Mr. World Traveler? I haven’t had a German beer in _years_ and I think it’ll go well with the brats you bought.”

“ _Good_ idea,” Newt agrees fervently, kissing her before withdrawing a few bottles of wine and shouldering a small, dark keg. “Here we are. Do you mind leading the way, love?”

She takes the bottles from him before heading back to the shed, smiling all the while.

* * *

Newt taps the keg and magics a few crab pots into the deeper water, setting up the fishing poles before digging a fire pit. Tina sips at her beer, the wind raking capricious fingers through her hair as she watches his clever hands. He’s smiling when he digs a long, narrow trench between swigs of beer, using his wand to line it with stones that have been polished smooth by the eternal movement of the sea.

A flick of his wrist gathers driftwood, another swirling motion sets it ablaze, and the fire has just reduced to shimmering coals when one of the lines begins to thrum.

He tugs a sleek, silvery fish from the water, speaking to it in a soothing murmur while working the hook from its mouth. “You’ll make a fine meal,” Newt assures it while inspecting his catch, before using his wand to send it to an awaiting pool of water.

He baits the hook and recasts the line before joining her on the sand, flicking his eyes over the water while taking a long pull from his glass. “Are you happy, love?”

Tina rests her head on his shoulder. “Yes, I am. Are you sad that we’re halfway through our honeymoon already, husband?”

He kisses her hair while pulling out his wand. “Not so much, no. I’m just very glad to be here with you. _Wife._ ”

She grins after him when he fetches the crab pots, crowing happily at the bounty before dumping it. He sorts through the catch, tossing a few creatures back into the water but retaining most of it. “We’re going to eat very well tonight, and probably for the next few days,” he tells her before holding up an odd, slimy, brown creature. "Can you eat monkfish? It doesn't have scales..."

Tina takes a dainty sip of her beer before smirking at him. "I dunno. Were its parents Jewish?"

She watches him blink confusedly before the penny drops, smiling when his laughter carries over to her. “I don’t believe so, no,” he tells her and uses his wand to send the fish soaring back into the water. “A sad thing, that. Monkfish are quite tasty.”

“I’ll live,” she says dryly as he gathers their catch. Dusting off her hands, Tina siphons water from her wand to fill pots and pans at his behest before setting them into the fire pit. “Now, how do we do this?”

Newt instructs her with characteristic patience, generously sprinkling seasoning into the water of the largest pot while the crabs rest in a separate container. He shucks and halves ears of corn and scrubs and quarters the potatoes before adding them to the steaming water. He uses his wand to drain and Scourgify his crabs before transferring them to the awaiting pot. Tina winces as they sail into the boiling water, still wriggling.

“Is that...going to hurt them?” she asks nervously.

Newt clamps on the lid and pulls out his pocket watch. “Only for the next ten seconds or so,” he explains gently, “and even _that_ they won’t really feel.” He glances down at the watch face. “See? They’re already beyond pain.”

She makes a sad sound at that. He smiles softly and kisses her before pulling her into a hug. “My tender-hearted wife,” he murmurs and cradles her jaw. “Never lose that quality, darling.”

“I don’t intend to,” she tells him, turning her mind away from the crabs with some effort as Newt uses his wand to clean and gut her fish before setting two cast-iron skillets onto the coals. He uses one to fry up hot dogs, beer-boiled bratwurst and onions. The other gets a thin coat of oil to fry succulent sides of wide-mouthed bass, generously sprinkled with seasoning.

They sit cross-legged on the sand to eat, washing down their supper with generous gulps of beer. “This is great,” Tina enthuses when Newt sucks the meat out of a crab leg before grinning at her with butter-slicked lips.

“Agreed,” he says, pouring another glass of beer for them both. He can’t recall how many he’s had by now, but he takes a generous swallow and offers her some boiled potatoes and corn, which she declines in favor of another hot dog. Newt rolls his eyes genially, muttering under his breath about healthy food while using his wand to send the scraps, empty carapaces, and entrails into the water.

He turns back to Tina, only to see her frozen in the act of taking a bite of her hotdog, her brown eyes huge. She is staring, not at him, but behind and above him. He freezes and raises an eyebrow in question.

“B-behind you,” she whispers, lowering the hotdog and setting it back onto her plate.

_Yes, dear, I’d worked that out for myself, thanks._ Very slowly, Newt pivots, staying in one place as much as possible despite his wobbling.

The horse’s head is as green-tinged as he’d remembered (and reproduced in his notes) but this close – _and how close is too close, old boy? –_  he can see the individual scales adorning its elongated nose, nostrils wide as dinner plates. He dazedly catalogs a mane of darker green adorning a long, long neck. The shape of its body is hidden beneath the water, giving only the impression of great bulk.

He takes a deep breath and forces himself to project an aura of calm certainty. _Don’t want to scare it off again._ “Hello, friend. I’m sorry the fish wasn’t to your liking the last time we met.”

Tina is making the faintest scrabbling noises behind him, and then he feels something shoved into his hand – the camera. No time to adjust the settings….He raises it so the sea serpent – _no, not a serpent, but monster is such a vulgar word –_  can see it. “May I?”

The great head lowers toward him, and a powerful waft of fish nearly knocks him over. _Actually, that’s not such a bad idea._ He carefully lowers himself to the ground and points the camera up, taking several shots before passing it back to Tina. Her face, when he glances at her, is pale but wearing a smile of incredulous wonder and delight.

The creature snuffles at his hair curiously before shifting its attention to Tina. She looks up at it and, before he can stop her, reaches out a careful hand to touch the broad, scaly cheek. The beast makes a soft chirping noise before pulling away.

Ponderously, it shuffles around and pushes into the deeper water without a backward glance. Just before it sinks beneath the surface, a wide, bisected tail emerges and slaps down, sending a miniature tidal wave of water all over Newt – while somehow managing to avoid Tina and their things completely.

He shakes his head with an aggrieved sigh, flinging wet hair out of his eyes. “Really? Was that strictly necessary?”

Ignoring Tina’s uproarious laughter he dries himself with his wand while attempting to maintain at least a shred of his dignity. “That went well,” he quips, which only serves to make Tina laugh harder. Fingers trembling with delayed reaction, he refills his glass of beer to drain at a draught before staggering to her side.

“That was exciting,” Tina says when they’ve both calmed down a bit. She rubs her fingers together. “You know, I thought it would be slimy, but it was just cool and wet. And it didn’t look at all like the creature in that newspaper article.”

Newt takes another gulp of beer. “No, that was definitely the same one I saw on my way here.”

She stares at him. “Really? But what’s it doing here? And don’t tell me it followed you.”

He shrugs. “I imagine the storm probably carried it. Distances would be nothing to such a large creature. The woman I spoke with today about a boat, she…she was odd. I don’t think she had magic, but she was…” he trails off, unable to explain. “Anyway, she mentioned a sea creature, so obviously one is active in the area. If this is the same one, I can’t say.”

“How many sea monsters – sorry – _creatures_ that big can there be?” Tina scans the water around them as if expecting denizens of the deep to rise en masse and fall upon them.

Newt finishes the beer and sets the glass back in their picnic hamper with an unsteady hand. “Muggles have been exploring the depths of the sea for at least a hundred years now, but obviously there’s always something new to be found.” He grins at her feeling more than a bit tipsy. “Good thing too, or there would be no need for my book.”

He wobbles when he stands, reaching for her with a daffy smile. “I’m afraid I’m pissed as a newt, love,” he mumbles while pulling her to her feet. “Would you mind terribly if we saved the boffing for tomorrow? I don’t wish to disappoint…”

She giggles as he wraps his arms around her. “I think you’re more than pissed. I think you’re all the way at drunk by now.”

“Not possible.” He rocks them gently from side to side, arms dangling around her waist. “Pissed _is_ drunk, in proper English at least. Besides, Theseus says you’re not drunk if you can find your arse with both hands.” He squeezes to emphasize the point.

Tina gives an unladylike snort. “Newt, I hate to tell you this, but it’s my ass you’re holding, not yours.”

He smiles beatifically. “We’re married….one flesh and all that...what’s mine is yours...what’s yours is mine.”

She sighs and gently pulls free of his hold. “Come on, husband, let’s head back, or we’ll end up staying out here all night and something might eat us.” She waves her wand to magic all their dishes, rods and assorted items to clean and sort themselves before lining up on the porch, waiting for them to put away in the morning.

“Then there’d be no boffing _at all_ ,” he mumbles, sounding absolutely horrified, and Tina laughs as she tows him up the beach.


	4. “In which Mr. and Mrs. Scamander Meet a(nother) Sea Monster...”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newly-married Mr. and Mrs. Scamander enjoy their honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the third part of the Doors series. You don't need to have read the first two stories: "Close Every Door" and "Open Doors," but it would help. Follow us on Tumblr at [@kemara24](http://kemara24.tumblr.com) and [@katiehavok](http://katiehavok.tumblr.com) for updates.
> 
> We had a lot of fun writing this and meshing our styles. To that end, we're offering our personal song selections. For this chapter:  
> KatieHavok: Slipknot - [Vermillion, Pt. 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcbYUwmmlE)  
> Kemara: John Williams - [Jaws Main Title](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV8i-pSVMaQ)
> 
> The character of Old Woman Josie was inspired by the character of the same name from the podcast "Welcome to Night Vale." Is she a witch? We leave that up to you to decide. 
> 
> Fans also might recognize one or two "Outlander" references. Newt or Jamie....we can't choose!

**July 4**

She comes awake to singing, his voice a low, sleepy tenor in her ear.

_“I'll be loving you always  
With a love that's true always.”_

Familiar hands stroke her hair and down the length of her spine, ending with a gentle squeeze where she is roundest as he goes on:

_“When the things you've planned_  
_Need a helping hand,_  
_I will understand always.”_

Tina shifts in his arms, feeling him smile before dropping a kiss in her hair. Moving causes something to scratch against her legs, and it takes her a moment to remember: the sandbar and the picnic, the visit from the sea serpent and her husband, wobbly on his feet but effusively happy in his drunkenness as she helps him into the cottage. A kiss shared before collapsing into bed, not bothering with shucking off their clothing or even their evening toilette and sleeping in a sweaty, sandy sprawl.

She hums while turning her face into him, where he gently urges her head toward the center of his chest, away from his sides.

“We didn’t wash last night, love,” he rumbles, and she grins at how deep his voice sounds when transmitted through his solar plexus. “And I had rather a lot to drink. You’d do well to keep your nose far away from my oxter this morning…”

It takes her a moment to puzzle that out, and she laughs before kissing just above his navel. “Duly noted. Thank you for the warning,” she teases, lifting her head to find him watching her through lazy eyes that shine green-gold in the predawn lamplight. He reaches a languid hand to touch the tip of her nose before tracing her lips.

“I just don’t wish to offend,” he whispers. “Not on our honeymoon, at least. I’m sure there’ll be ample opportunity for that in the future.”

Tina kisses his stomach, the notch of his sternum and his chin. “You really don’t have to worry about it,” she murmurs into the hinge of his jaw. “I agreed to marry you, body odor and all – or did you forget?”

She presses her face into his hair to breath deeply of him, finding that his scent _is_ stronger than usual, much earthier, though far from unpleasant. He carefully holds his breath when she moves to kiss him, a closed-mouth peck that leaves her grinning broadly. “Besides, I’m sure you realize that my body does some pretty, um, _impolite_ things too…”

Newt covers his mouth when he speaks. “Yes, that’s true, but those ‘impolite’ things serve a purpose.” His voice is only slightly muffled by his fingers but he still rolls his eyes when she giggles. “Besides, I suppose you're right, though I’ll refrain from inflicting my dragon-breath upon you.”

“I appreciate that.” Tina stands to stretch languidly before shedding her clothes. She deposits them in a laundry basket as Newt follows suit before stumbling into the bathroom, half-heartedly kicking the door closed behind him. _He won’t let me smell him, and he’s afraid his morning breath is going to offend me, but he drains the dragon with the door half-open._ Tina snorts and rolls her eyes in fond exasperation. _I will never again doubt that man was once a soldier!_

Highly amused, Tina waits for the toilet to flush before meandering into the living room, passing Newt enthusiastically brushing his teeth. She greets Ladon, who is fluttering happily around his terrarium, with a smile, and drinks a glass of water before checking on her husband. She finds him still at the sink, using a badger brush to spread shaving foam over his face – heavy with four days worth of stubble – before chasing it with a lethal-looking straight razor.

He meets her eyes in the mirror with a curiously raised brow. “Do you need the toilet? I’ll give you privacy.” He gestures toward his face with the razor, making her twitch nervously. “It was getting itchy…”

Tina bites her lip, stepping cautiously into the room before nodding. “I, uh...I’ll let you know when I’m done, okay? Then you can finish up in here.”

Newt calmly sets down his razor before turning to her, brushing her cheek with the back of his knuckles. She catches a waft of the scented soap he claimed to hate and smiles to herself.

“Draw yourself a bath, if you’d like,” he offers. “We have a big day today, what with the boat and dinner, but we aren’t on any sort of schedule so we can take our time.”

She stands on tiptoes to kiss his forehead. “Okay. I’ll let you know when I’m done with the john, then you can come back and finish shaving.” Newt nods before turning on the ball of his foot to leave, closing the door firmly behind him.

She uses wandless magic to turn on the taps as she does her business, filling the air with steam while she brushes her teeth. A rap at the door tells Newt that it’s safe for him to reenter the bathroom, and he barely glances at her before taking up his razor. The rasp of his shaving is loud in the otherwise quiet room, broken only by the trickle of water when she scrubs herself before working shampoo granules into her hair.

She starts when familiar, calloused hands wrap around her wrists. “Allow me,” Newt murmurs with a hopeful smile. He waits for her to nod permission before massaging her scalp, carefully spreading Canthrox through the strands as she holds her breath. He glides his hands over her shoulders when he’s finished, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

“You have such beautiful hair,” he breathes into her skin. “Thank you for trusting me to wash it.”

Tina meets his eyes while wordlessly passing him the rinsing cup. He moistens his lips before urging her to tip her head back, her knuckles white on the edge of the tub. He’s gentle when he rinses her hair, running his fingers through the strands so they don’t tangle.

She holds her breath as he takes up the bar of soap to wash and rinse her back, only to release it in a shaky sigh when he presses a slow kiss to the nape of her neck, her nipples tingling into points.

_“Perfect,”_ he whispers.

She turns to him then, taking him into her arms. A tidal wave of water flows over the side of the tub when he lands with a splash, but they’re too busy kissing and scrabbling at slick skin to notice.

* * *

“What time did you say we’d meet her?” Tina asks as they hurry down the deserted main street toward the docks, the sun already some distance above the watery horizon.

“Just sometime this morning.” Newt strides next to her, not even breathing hard even though he’s carrying two fishing poles, the creel, a small bucket of bait and the picnic basket with their lunch, leaving her with a bag containing the sunscreen paste, seasickness potion, camera and Newt’s journal with his research notes. _Just in case we see something interesting._

They reach the aforementioned red boat – Tina knows absolutely nothing about boats, but it certainly looks seaworthy even if the paint is due for a touchup. In contrast, the intricately detailed crab on its side gleams as if with a coat of fresh varnish. When she glances away and back again, her stomach gives a little lurch. _Did it move? No, just a trick of the light._ “Where is she?”

Newt scans their surroundings, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the bright rays. “I don’t see her, but if her boat’s here….”

Tina walks down the line of boats on the quay. Some fishermen are checking their supplies or putting into dock after a night on the water, but that’s just it – they’re all men. She returns to Newt and finds him still alone. “Now what?” She tries to push down the unexpected sting of disappointment. _I’m sure we can find something else to do._

“I’ll go back to the bait shop and see if the owner knows where she can be found. Why don’t you –”

“No one ever looks up.”

They both jump, and Tina nearly draws her wand from its arm holster (hidden from no-maj eyes with a spell) before remembering herself. She cranes her neck at the boat beside them – more of a ship really – who’s side towers above their heads. There’s a flash of movement and a figure lands with a thump on the boards in front of them.

Newt smiles. “Good morning, Josie.”

The woman doesn’t look ancient enough for the moniker “old woman,” but she’s not young, either. Her brown hair, bleached by the sun in spots, shows no strands of gray, but bright blue eyes peer out of a tanned and lined face. She wears an assortment of garments – a faded orange dress over men’s denim trousers rolled up to the knees to show bare feet, and at least two shawls. On her thin arm, Tina spots what might just be a tattoo done in blue ink.

“You’d think educated people like yourselves would know to pay attention.” She gives Tina a scornful glance. “Especially you, girl.”

Tina bristles. “Excuse me?”

“Ah, Josie this is Tina, my wife,” Newt steps in smoothly, obviously sensing friction.

Josie ignores the introduction. “You both ought to be more careful. Well, come on. I’ve already wasted the morning waiting on you two.” She strides off down the quay, not looking back to see if they’re following.

For a minute, Tina considers staying put, but with a reassuring smile and a hand at her back, Newt urges her to move.

At the very end of the docks sits a – Tina guesses it’s a dinghy. It has two sides and a floor with benches, so it must be a boat, but it looks hardly worthy of the description. The weathered boards show remnants of green paint, and a large chunk is missing on one edge as though _something_ took a bite out of it.

“The Green Mist,” Josie declares. “One of my best boats.”

_If this is best, I don’t want to see what the worst looks like!_ Tina glances at Newt who seems completely at ease. “Newt, are you sure about this?”

Josie scowls, but Newt just smiles blandly. “I’m sure it will be fine. Thank you, Josie. We should be back sometime this afternoon.”

He sets the poles, bait and picnic basket in the boat while Tina and Josie engage one another in a staring match.

At last, the older woman turns away with a sniff. “I expect my boat back in one piece.” Without another word, she stalks away leaving Tina staring after her.

“Of all the nerve!”

Newt chuckles and reaches out to take the bag she passes to him. “She’s certainly has a mind of her own.” He raises an eyebrow, teasing. “Rather like you, my dear.”

Tina snorts inelegantly and lets him help her into the boat, settling gingerly on one of the wooden benches. Splinters prick the back of her thighs through her dress, and she shifts uncomfortably. “I don’t trust this thing….” she mutters as Newt leans into the oars, pulling them smoothly away from the dock.

“She wouldn’t give us a leaky boat,” Newt says between pulls.

Despite her irritation, Tina admires the way his arm and shoulder muscles flex and relax with the motion, pushing them ever farther out to sea. “How do you know? She acted like she’d curse me as soon as look at me.” A thought comes to her. “You’re sure she’s not a witch? I don’t think she is, but she’s….”

“Odd.” Newt agrees. “And we’re perfectly safe. She has a reputation to keep, after all. She can’t have her customers drowning because one of her boats sank.” He ships the oars and reaches for one of the poles. “I think this will do.”

“Yeah, I guess. There’s just something about her.” Tina shrugs and takes out her wand now that they’re out of sight of land. A few other boats bob on the light swell, but none are close. “All the same, I don’t want to take chances.” She casts a few charms to keep the boards watertight and considers using Impervious just to be sure. _No, that might make us levitate since it repels water._ She giggles at this thought, and Newt raises a curious eyebrow while baiting and casting his hook.

“Come now, what’s funny?”

“Just trying to make sure we don’t drown, and I thought maybe Impervious….” She scours the seat beneath her to address the splinters before stowing her wand again. “I guess that’ll do for now.”

Newt arms sweat off his forehead before conjuring a large, sun-blocking umbrella. “Yes, I can see how that would be amusing.” He positions the shade so Tina is beneath it before loosening his collar and checking his line. “We won’t drown. Worst comes to worst, we Disapparate back to land, inform Josie of the loss of her craft, and fish from the shore.” He shrugs. “You know how I feel about worrying…”

“Yes, I know.” Tina reaches for the second fishing rod. “So, how do I do this?”

Newt pries open the lid of the bucket again. “Can you bait the hook or would you rather I did it? And watch your fingers, the hook can be nasty to remove.” He shows her the scarred and calloused pads of his fingers as proof.

She peers cautiously into the bucket, relieved to see nothing moving among the strips of fish. “No, I think I can do it.” She dips out a piece and attaches it carefully to the hook. “OK. That’s done.”

Casting the line proves a bit more difficult. She attempts to replicate his smooth, from-the-wrist motion, only to snag the line on the skeleton of the umbrella. Giggling, she watches her husband patiently work out the snarl before spooling the line and showing her again how it’s done.

He slides behind her to assist for the second casting, which she does more gingerly than necessary. The hook sails over the prow, only to land with a limp _plop_ mere feet away. Newt clutches the side of the boat with one hand, the other wrapped around his midsection as his laughter carries over the waves.

Tina pretends to scowl at him. “You’re a big help! At least it went into the water that time!”

Newt sits up, still chuckling and wipes his eyes. “I apologize, my dear. Yes, that _was_ better.” He considers for a moment while checking his own line. “Perhaps….When you cast the Patronus spell, you use this same movement.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Tina draws her wand for a few practice flicks, reacquainting herself with the motion as Newt shrugs and sheds his waistcoat and shirt in deference to the mid-morning heat, putting his freckles and scars on full display. Tina helps herself to an appreciative eyeful before musing, “I’m just using a much _bigger_ wand.” Her husband licks his lips and slants an eyebrow as the hidden implication in her words occurs to her, cheeks heating beneath their slight sunburn.

“Yes, well…” he says. “I admire a woman who can handle a big, er… _wand_.”

“You’d know a little something about that, wouldn’t you?” she fires back and hides her face in her hands as her giggles blend with his roaring laughter. “We’re scaring off the _fish!_ ” she cries, which only serves to make them laugh harder until they mop their reddened faces and slowly calm down, rubbing their aching sides.

The line jerks then, bending the tip of the pole, and Newt slides over to check it. “Ah, here we go!” He tugs very slightly on the line, and Tina stares as _something_ tugs back even harder.

It’s like a dance she realizes, watching him tease the obviously large fish out of the water, advancing and retreating, gradually drawing it closer to the boat. The effort makes the muscles flex and relax on Newt’s bronzed back and arms. _He’s right – no tan lines,_ Tina thinks and squirms a bit on the hard, wooden bench.

At last, he hauls a blue-gray and white fish over the side, stunning it with his wand. “Teeth,” he breathlessly explains off her curious look and peels back the fish’s lips to show her before working out the hook. Tina baits it after ensuring the integrity of the line, while Newt dispatches and bleeds the fish with a few deft flicks of his wand. He sends the entrails overboard before casting a stasis spell and gingerly laying it in their creel.

“You’ll make a good stew,” he tells it and seals the lid.

Tina opens the hamper and extracts one of the canteens, passing it to him. “Here. I’m amazed something so small put up that much of a fight.”

“Thank you.” He takes a gulp of water. “Well, all living things want to stay alive, you know. Why don’t you try again?” He corks the canteen and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“What?” Tina wrenches her attention from his mouth with a start. “Oh! Yeah, okay.” With the motion fresh in her mind, her third cast lands the hook a much better distance away. “Finally!”

Newt beams proudly. “And now, we wait.” He recasts his own line, and they sit in comfortable silence, enjoying the breeze and the sunshine.

Tina’s nearly dozing, leaning against Newt’s comfortable chest with one hand lightly on the line when the boat gives a tremendous lurch. She’s thrown to the aft, rapping her elbow painfully on the bucket, which upends over her. Newt manages to keep his seat, but just barely. “Did we hit a rock?”

He scans the water, reaching out to help her scramble beside him as he squints into the blue depths. “No, I think something hit us. Are you alright?”

“Fine.” She draws her wand and also studies the deceptively calm water around them. “I don’t see....”

Newt grips her arm, fingers circling like steel bands. “There!”

A dark shape breaks the surface a few yards away. It’s gone again before either of them can get a good look, leaving faint ripples behind.

“No, over here.” Tina points to another, closer hump on the opposite side of the boat. “It’s circling us.”

New shakes the hair out of his eyes, holding his wand tightly. “Yes, it seems so.” He tugs her over to the bench beside him, shifting into a defensive posture. “Stay close to me.”

She stares at him. “You mean….”

“Nothing to worry about – it’s a common predatory tactic.”

Tina rolls her eyes at this and readies her own wand. “Nothing to worry about. Sure….We’ve already met one sea monster on this trip. Wasn’t that enough?”

As if answering her question, a huge, eel-like creature rises out of the water. Its scales are mottled gray-black, two feelers writhing above each huge, black eye. A row of lethal-looking spines runs down its broad, flat back, and there’s no mistaking the air of menace as it rears above them.

“Apparently not,” Newt says quietly as the beast opens its mouth to show a double-row of jagged teeth, each as long as Tina’s arm. Something like a cobra’s hood flares open around its head, blotting out the sunlight as it hovers maliciously.

“Protego!” Tina casts automatically when Newt maneuvers her behind him. The shield sparks under the impact when the creature lunges, teeth snapping together ineffectually mere inches from Newt’s face. It thrashes in frustration as it rears back to try again, tossing the little boat around like driftwood.

“It appears to be magical,” Newt says with only a hint of strain in his voice. “I doubt your shield will stand another hit.”

“So what the hell are we supposed to do?” Tina snarls, casting spells to stabilize the boat, keep out water _and_ keep the shield going.

Newt considers, brow furrowing as he thinks. “Let me try shrinking it.” He flicks his wand and the creature flinches as if struck before gathering itself, hood spreading in clear challenge.

“I think you just pissed it off,” Tina says grimly. “I know you don’t want to hurt it, but I don’t think we have a choice.”

“Maybe a stunning spell?” Newt suggests with a disappointed frown. “It would be a shame to kill such a magnificent creature.”

Tina shakes her head. “I don’t think even the Killing Curse would make this thing blink.”

“Supposing it blinks at all,” he comments, voice jagging when the creature lunges around the boat, forcing him to turn in a tight circle. A cascade of water crashes over the side, making Tina sputter and giving Newt an idea. “Tina, love – can you cast a Patronus while maintaining a shield? Or will you need to lower it?”

She blinks and scowls at him while pouring more magic into the barrier. “A dog’s not gonna be any match for _that_ , Newt, or hadn’t you noticed the giant rampaging sea monster trying to eat us?!”

Newt initiates eye contact with the sea serpent while throwing his shoulders back, raising his wand. “No,” says tightly, eyes blazing. “A dog won’t pose much of a threat – but a dragon might.”

She takes his meaning immediately and drops into a crouch to give him room to maneuver. The monster lunges at them, and she puts all her might into the shield, grimacing when the impact travels down her arm, before shifting her attention to Newt. She waits until his jaw clenches, his knuckles white around his wand as the creature rears back before releasing her shield with a _pop_ , giving him the clearance he needs to cast his Patronus and distract the monster long enough to Disapparate them away.

He’s halfway through the incantation when the boat gives a sudden, nauseating lurch, lifting on a swell and knocking Newt into the water. Tina lunges for him at the same instant the monster _dives_ , mouth open in greedy anticipation, intent only on having a human lunch – until something green-black and huge swats it away, simultaneously tossing Newt and Tina from the worst of the danger.

Tina cracks her head on the prow of the boat in the melee, temporarily stunned as water covers her head. She fights her way to the surface, bobbing up coughing and spluttering to look around for a familiar mop of coppery hair. She can’t find him, not in the churned up froth of the battling sea-beasts, and panic sizzles along her nerve endings as she grimly fights her way to the small boat drifting further and further away from her.

She tries calling out for Newt, but it’s all she can do to keep herself afloat, and she ends up inhaling a mouthful of water. She goes under again, weighed down by her day dress and knowing intuitively that her swimming skills simply aren’t up to par; it’s then that she realizes she’s lost her wand somewhere along the way, likely knocked out of her hand when the boat had capsized.

_Fuck me,_ she thinks clearly and sets her jaw before fighting her way back to the surface.

Something brushes her foot, and panic explodes in her chest. The sudden burst of adrenaline gives her the strength to lash out, connecting with something meaty as she rockets upwards. It rises alongside her, and she turns to it after that first precious inhale, prepared to lash out with teeth and nails if need be, determined to go down fighting.

_It_ turns out to be coppery and freckled, green eyes wide and as close to panicked as she’s ever seen them. _“Tina,”_ the apparition sputters and catches her fist easily. “Tina, it’s me, love.”

His arm encircles her, and she grabs at him with frantic clinginess. He has a gash along his temple that’s steadily leaking blood, and he sports a bruised jaw and black eye that she suspects may be a result of her kick, but he’s unmistakably Newt and unmistakably _alive_ as she clutches him. He holds her with matching ferocity, murmuring her name as his strong legs fight to keep them afloat.

Roughly a hundred feet away, the fanged monster turns and flees, but not before one final malicious lunge at their protector. A row of jagged teeth meet their mark, and red-black blood flies through the air to land in rain-like spatters as Newt tows her toward the relative safety of the boat.

“Almost there,” he murmurs soothingly, keeping a careful eye on the familiar green sea-beast that’s remained behind, trumpeting its victory. It turns in their direction, snout bleeding freely, and blinks its massive eyes before carefully nudging the little boat closer to them.

Newt clings to the boat with one strong arm, using his body as a human bridge for Tina to climb over. She leverages herself aboard via his shoulder, wincing at his grunt of pain when he hauls himself over the bow to collapse, panting.

Tina looks around frantically for her wand, swearing under her breath when it isn’t immediately visible before going to her husband’s side. He smiles weakly as she takes his hand, the other flicking the blood off his face before looking past her to acknowledge the sea serpent.

The beast lowers its head, scenting them both before _whuffing –_ a low, pained sound. Newt takes a steadying breath before sitting up, slowly raising his wand hand. “Let me heal you,” he murmurs, reaching out to gently stroke a flared nostril. “Please allow me to thank you for saving our lives.”

Tina joins him, careful to avoid the ragged edges of the wound. “We should name you,” she says as Newt uses his wand to cast a series of healing charms. The creature blinks, and Tina grins as the injury stitches itself together. Another spell sees the blood siphoned away, and the beast seems to sigh in thanks before butting its head into their hands. “How about Atlanta? Do you like that?”

A fish-scented snort indicates approval, and Newt scratches the broad snout until Atlanta closes her eyes, rumbling happily. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “I’d hate to kill any creature, but it was turning into a serious possibility until you intervened. I would not have let _it_ kill _us_.”

He turns to Tina, tears standing in his green eyes. “I’m sorry, love. It was… _extraordinarily_ foolish of me not to deal with the threat right away.”

She slides an arm around him, feeling him tremble with left-over adrenaline. “It’s okay,” she forgives him, knowing that they’ll have to talk about this at some point but for now, _not caring_. “We’re alive, we’re in one piece, and we’ve still got the rest of the afternoon to ourselves. Just...maybe we can go home now? I think I’ve had my fill of water for the day.”

As if understanding their words, Atlanta snorts one last time before sinking below the waves. They watch as the bulk of her turns to swim away, her segmented tail rising to _gently_ slap water in their direction, bobbing the boat a few feet closer to shore as she disappears.

A simple Accio sends Tina’s wand sailing into her hand, the wood drenched but otherwise unharmed. She uses it to help Newt retrieve the rest of their belongings, which are scattered to all four corners of the compass. Their bluefish has been lost, both fishing rods broke in the battle, but they are thankful that their lives and limbs are intact, and don’t comment on these things as Newt points the prow toward land, shrugging into his sodden shirt before rowing them home.


	5. In which Mr. and Mrs. Scamander partake in the celebrations of a treasonous society

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newly-married Mr. and Mrs. Scamander enjoy their honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the third part of the Doors series. You don't need to have read the first two stories: "Close Every Door" and "Open Doors," but it would help. Follow us on Tumblr at [@kemara24](http://kemara24.tumblr.com) and [@katiehavok](http://katiehavok.tumblr.com) for updates.
> 
> We had a lot of fun writing this and meshing our styles. To that end, we're offering our personal song selections. For this chapter:  
> KatieHavok: Slipknot - [Vermillion, Pt. 2/Nine Inch Nails - Closer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvetJ9U_tVY&list=PLKAlwbHpq-X0xHoW_mYpBlpaXs8_LBif4&index=3)  
> Kemara: Faith Hill and Tim McGraw - [Let’s Make Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw1aDkr2Z5E)

**July 4 - Continued**

At the dock, Newt ties the boat to a cleat and hands the picnic basket and other paraphernalia up to Tina. Josie is nowhere in evidence, much to Tina’s relief.

“Good thing I already paid her,” Newt says, grimacing as he delicately fingers the gash on his temple. “People would have questions if we showed up looking like this.”

Tina gently pulls his hand down, noticing absently that her own is still shaking. “Stop that. Let’s just find somewhere to disapparate from.”

They keep their heads down along the quay until they can duck behind a boathouse. Tina clings to Newt’s arm as he turns them into the squeezing blackness to reappear in front of the cottage. Ladon tangles nervously around their feet as they trip through the sitting room until they stop to pet and stroke him. He wiggles happily before retreating to the fireplace, allowing Newt and Tina to crowd into the bathroom to clean up.

Tina heals the gash on his temple and does her best to attend to the bruising with her wand, though there isn’t much she _can_ do. Newt reciprocates in kind, finding a cut she wasn’t even aware of beneath her hair and healing it before pressing a line of kisses down the shelf of her jaw to her mouth, where he lingers to share her air.

They remain locked in their tableau for one minute, two, before his hands go around her waist as she gently pushes against his chest, urging them into the bedroom, onto the bed so she can climb into his lap. “I thought you were dead,” she tells a cluster of freckles on his collarbone as she kisses it, tasting salt and skin and delighting in the throb of his heart beneath her lips. “I thought...when I couldn’t find you, I thought the boat had taken you under, or that that _thing_ had eaten you.”

“It didn’t,” he soothes in his gentlest voice, calloused hands tracing a circuit over her side. “I’m alive, and so are you.”

She nods before leaning back, temporarily displacing his hands when she peels off her dress. He sits up to shrug out of his mostly-unbuttoned shirt, hissing when she peppers his stomach with wet kisses as her fingers work to free him from his trousers. She tugs them off with his underwear, taking a moment to really _look_ at him before kissing his length, half-hard and pulsing gently against her lips.

“Alive,” she breathes, and circles him, delighting in the way his fingers clamp over her shoulders.

“Tina?”

“I’m okay,” she whispers and retracts him to kiss the red tip. He hisses, and she shows a small smile before doing it again with a flick of her tongue. Something dark and fearful nudges against the mental shields she’s built around herself, and Newt squeezes her gently before hauling her _up_ and over him, his hands exploring every inch of her exposed skin as he suckles the globe of her breast.

_“Alive.”_ He repeats her words back to her when she reaches between her legs, touching herself with practiced surety until she is warm and humid and _empty_ , yearning for him. She wraps damp fingers around his length, and he groans while clutching her to his chest, rolling and putting them on their side to face each other.

She drapes her leg over his hip, he lines them up, and she gasps his name as he fills her, pinching her eyes closed when pulsing, vital, _human_ connection is made.

_“Tina.”_

Newt embraces her entirely as they move, his hands on her skin, in her hair as his mouth brushes her, sometimes murmuring her name, sometimes gasping adorations into her flesh. She clutches sun-kissed muscle and bone, digging her fingernails into freckles and scars, delighting in the way his heart pounds like a drum against hers, each beat proclaiming _alive, alive, alive._

She crests on a long, slow wave of adoration, mouthing his skin as he curls his fingers into her hair to follow, sighing her name.

Tina eventually looks up to discover that his cheeks are wet, eyes streaming as he watches her. “I’m so sorry,” Newt says again and reaches out to reverently touch her face. It isn’t until his fingers come away damp that she realizes she’s crying too, though she's unsure of precisely when that began.

She kisses him, infusing the contact with all her love and devotion while maneuvering them beneath the blankets. “Stop,” she admonishes gently. “Consider it a learning experience. It’s not just you out there any longer, Newt. I can hold my own and so can you; we just have to learn how to do it _together_.”

“Yes,” he chokes, pressing his face into her neck as his shoulders shake.

“You big baby,” she sighs, her tone infinitely fond when she smiles down at him, closing her eyes. “Just hold me. Just hold me, and we’ll be alright.”

* * *

It’s the feel of calloused fingertips brushing her skin, followed by an unpleasant chill that wakes her.

Tina blinks open her eyes to spot Newt, his mouth pressed into a thin line, hair a frizzy halo around his head as he rubs bruise paste into her skin. He finds each newly formed discoloration with typical patience, kissing it in apology before following his mouth with his fingers.

Her skin puckers into goosebumps when she shivers, and he flicks his eyes up to her with a nervous smile before kissing where her heartbeat is strongest.

“You’re awake,” he mumbles, actively avoiding eye contact. “I’m...I apologize, I didn’t intend to wake you. I enjoy watching you sleep…”

Tina yawns and stretches, wincing at the drag of sore, fatigued, weighted-down limbs. _”Uuugh.”_ She recalls suddenly the events of the day, and shivers at the remembered fear of loss, the relief of finding him, and the love that had carried her until they stumbled home, tumbling into bed to share and fuse that love between them, making it whole.

Her hand flashes out to capture his wrist, feeling him wince before going still. “Stop.”

Newt grimaces but says nothing. Tina sits up with some effort, groaning as her entire body seems to throb but persevering to take him into her arms. “Hey. I thought we were over this, so why are you…?”

He opens his mouth, and she slants a finger over his lips, feeling them tremble. “Don’t apologize again,” she tells him lightly. “I’ve already accepted and forgiven you, as I said after we...well, before we fell asleep. Please don’t do this to yourself.”

“I can’t help it,” he says hoarsely. “I couldn’t – I couldn’t _find you,_ Tina.”

“But you did,” she says lightly and kisses his nose when he blinks at her. “You did find me, and you healed Atlanta and rowed us back to shore. You caught me, just as you promised you always would – so why are we still talking about it?” She shrugs, smiling for his sake as he slowly relaxes against her. “I’m an auror, and you’re a magizoologist. ‘Dangerous’ is in the job description, Newt, but we can’t fall apart every time one or the other of us is put _in_ danger. We just...we have to get used to it.”

“Get used to it,” he echoes bitterly. Then he shakes himself, meeting her eyes. “I don’t...I hope to never _get used_ to that kind of terror, Tina, because that would make me just as t-terrible as the wizards you catch.” His breath hitches before he regains control of himself, shaking his head ruefully. “I understand what you mean, but…”

“But you’re only human,” she sighs, and runs her fingers through his hair, patiently working out the tangles. “And so am I, and we just have to live with it. Besides, how were you supposed to know that _this one_ would attack us when Atlanta was so friendly? You couldn’t, Newt.”

He sighs, nodding slowly, his shoulders gradually relaxing as her words get through to him. “You’re right,” he agrees after a few moments and manages a weak smile. “You’re right, love, as always.”

She captures his hand to toy with the scars dotting his knuckles. “I’m not _always_ right,” she argues playfully and is heartened when his smile strengthens, his eyes gleaming at her from a nest of happy wrinkles. “Just about this. And most other things, as you’ll discover over the course of our married life.”

She pulls him in for a slow kiss and is rewarded with a sigh. “Now, let’s go get dressed and have some dinner. My husband promised me a night on the town, and I believe something was said about ice cream…?”

Newt laughs, climbing to his feet to help her upright, only to pull her into his arms for a clinging hug. “Thank you,” he says fervently and ghosts his thumbs over the apple of her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she promises and reaches up to touch the patchwork of bruises decorating his temple, cheek, and jaw, frowning when he winces. “Why don’t you finish healing mine, and then we’ll take care of you?”

He agrees easily, finding each bruise with tender lips before soothing it away.

He passes the jar of paste to her when he’s finished, and she heals his face first, delighting at the return of his freckled visage and kisses him deeply before moving on. Most of the left side of his body has been banged up, and she wonders briefly at that before healing him, carefully working her way back to his mouth.

Newt sighs her name against her lips, and she has to pointedly remind herself of the hour and their plans to avoid dragging him into bed for a third time, her stomach already tightening in anticipation. _Calm down, woman!_ she tells herself, and giggles when he steps back reluctantly, his eyes dark.

“I’m going to wash up and get dressed,” she tells him determinedly, dragging the tips of her fingers over his chest and smirking when goosebumps chase behind them. “I suggest you do the same.”

Tina holds his gaze until the bathroom door comes between them. Then she takes a moment to center herself, breathing deeply enough to frown at the bitter miasma of bruise paste, salt water and spent adrenaline that clings to her. _That won’t do._ It’s the work of only a few minutes to draw her second bath of the day, scrubbing herself with scented soap and washing the ocean out of her hair before squinting at her reflection.

The cosmetic spells Queenie had taught her are still new and unfamiliar, so she’s careful with her wand when she moisturizes before powdering her nose and curling her eyelashes. She debates for a moment before applying a bold red lipstick, careful to accent her Cupid’s Bow and applying a charm to prevent smearing. “Not bad, Goldstein,” she murmurs in approval, and finger waves the top section of her hair, tucking the length into a hair clip. “Not bad at all!”

Newt’s still in his case when she steps out of the bathroom so she takes her time dressing, slipping into her nicest foundation garments before considering the two frocks Queenie had sent along. She selects the longer of the two, which boasts an asymmetrical hemline, the shortest point of which hits at mid-thigh. The airy cap sleeves join a high basque but plunging back, and the bodice is lavish with beads.

Tina chews her lip in nervous consideration before magicking the dress a daring red, accented by black chaplets and stitching. The color is the same shade she wears on her lips and combined with the modern cut and her nude stockings, the entire combination is very nearly indecent. Her knees tremble when she steps into black ankle-strap heels, and a quick glance in the mirror makes her breath catch in her throat: _perfect_.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you leaving the house looking like _that_...” Newt’s voice trails off into a low, heated growl, and Tina smirks to herself before turning, careful to make the dress flare around her.

“As if you have any say in the matter,” she scoffs gently, only to fall silent when she takes a good, long look at him.

He’s wearing a black pinstripe suit in an updated style, with a matching black waistcoat layered atop a snowy white shirt and Mandarin collar. His constant brown boots are missing in favor of sleek black shoes, his hair tamed by grease, and she notices that even his cufflinks match her engagement ring, sapphire-on-gold. The unexpected color combination brings out his red hair and bronzed skin, minimizing his freckles to give him a mature, worldly air and effectively taking her breath away.

“Oh,” she says stupidly.

He smirks while gliding over to her, reverently touching an exposed shoulder before laying a kiss on her neck. “‘Oh’, indeed,” he murmurs. “You look stunningly beautiful, Tina, and I don’t mind saying that I wish only to do absolutely _unspeakable_ things to you right now.”

She hums in pleasure when he finds and laves his favorite heart-shaped mole, her head tipping back. “Make a list,” she murmurs, eyes slipping closed. “And we’ll go through it one at a time, what do you say?”

Newt growls as his arm goes around her waist, pulling her tight against the line of his body. Tina gasps when she feels _it_ , unmistakably hard and pulsating with want, only to moan when his thumb teasingly brushes her nipple through the fabric of her dress.

“Night on the town,” she reminds him breathlessly. “You promised me ice c-cream,” though she can no longer recall precisely what ice cream is when he suckles the nape of her neck, tongue swirling wetly.

“I’d rather eat _you_ ,” he purrs, low and breathless in her ear. His hips twitch against her once, twice before suddenly moving away, allowing her a chance to catch her breath when he turns her in his arms to examine her face.

“When we return, with your permission…” Newt drags his thumb along her red bottom lip thoughtfully before leaning in to press it between his teeth, making her gasp. “I’d quite like to ravish you,” he finishes against her mouth, before sealing them together with a hard kiss.

Tina moans, her knees turning to water when he slides a hand into the small of her back to bend her backward, gentling the embrace. She strokes his burnished cheeks once they’re upright, relishing the feel of him panting against her, the way his eyes smolder in the low light. “Let’s go to dinner,” she tells him. “And have ice cream. And when we get home…” She rolls her hips suggestively. “We’ll have a second dessert. Just you and me.”

“Yes,” he growls and kisses the tips of her finger before turning them into disapparition.

* * *

As expected, the town is packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people – tourists and locals celebrating the Fourth of July holiday. Children chase each other through the crowd and the sounds of a band carry over the hum of excited voices. There’s the occasional pop of a firecracker even though the sun isn’t quite yet down.

Tina balks, just for a moment, when they step out onto the main street, but Newt gallantly holds out a black-clad arm for her to grasp. She presses close as he guides them through the throng as easily as any New Yorker on Wall Street at lunchtime, blind to the many approving glances sent both their way.

At the restaurant, he has a word with the host, and they find themselves seated in a quiet corner by a window.

“I didn’t know you’d made a reservation,” Tina says, spreading the linen napkin over her lap and taking a sip of water. “But I’m glad you did.”

Newt swallows hard when her tongue flicks across her lips chasing water droplets. “Theseus suggested it, actually, when I told him we’d be here over the holiday. Apparently, Graves warned him it might be….busy.”

“Seems to be.” Tina glances around the large dining room, but none of the other people hold her attention as well as the man across from her.

“Yes.” Newt’s voice trails off as he continues to stare at her.

The waiter’s sudden appearance startles both of them back to awareness. They give the menu a cursory glance before mindlessly ordering chicken and steak.

“I’ve had my fill of seafood, I think,” Tina jokes. “Especially after this afternoon.”

Newt manages a wry smile. “I have as well. At least for the moment.”

Tina takes another sip of water, casting for something to talk about. They’ve never had trouble talking before, but he fills her senses so completely she can’t concentrate. _I just want to take him back to bed,_ she thinks as she watches the flicker of candlelight in his eyes. _What did he call it the other night? Boffing? That’s a good word for it because I just want to ‘boff’ him right now!_ She snorts laughter into her glass of water, prompting him to raise a curious eyebrow.

“Would you care to share the joke, Mrs. Scamander?” His low voice makes her shiver.

“I’m sorry,” she tells him primly, “but I’m afraid it’s far too impolite for present company.” She looks around pointedly before going on, voice turning ragged when he reaches across the table to stroke her knuckles. “I’ll have to share it with you later...in private.”

“I’ll look forward to it...among other things.”

She can’t help blushing, and he smiles. “You are by far the most beautiful woman in the room, you know. You’re getting quite a bit of attention from our fellow diners.”

“What about you?” she says, raising her chin. “You’re getting your share of glances, too, Mr. Scamander. I’m beginning to feel a bit jealous.”

“I don’t care about them,” he says, eyes intent and voice pitched almost too low for her to hear. “There’s only one woman in this room I’d like to bend over this table, and she’s sitting across from me. The rest of them...they’re welcome to watch. If they’d like.”

Heat pools at Tina’s center. “Oh, really?” Under the cover of the white linen tablecloth, she slips off her right shoe and teasingly slides her foot up the inside of his leg. “You have the most interesting ideas….”

The waiter brings their food, but Tina barely tastes her chicken. It might as well be sawdust for all the attention she pays. Newt eats about half his steak before throwing down his napkin and standing to toss a couple bills on the table. She replaces her shoe and takes his arm, letting him hurry them back outside.

Dusk has fallen and the crowd has moved closer to the water where a barge waits some distance out. As they watch, a red trail streaks across the sky to explode with a despondent pop. “About half an hour before they start,” Tina overhears someone say, as they make their way down the sidewalk. One street over, the band is playing patriotic tunes at a pavilion and they spy several dancing couples.

“Would you like to dance?” Newt suggests even though the tone of his voice makes it plain he’d rather not.

Tina smiles at him and steps nimbly away from a little boy with a dripping ice cream cone. “Not tonight. But I do want _dessert_. You promised…”

“Of course.” He smirks and leads them to the candy shop, its door propped open for a steady stream of customers. Tina orders a vanilla cone drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with a cherry. Newt rolls his eyes at her choice and orders butterscotch.

They wander down to the pier and find a quiet spot out of the way, tucked behind a tree and a pylon, free from prying eyes.

“Vanilla is so...mundane,” he teases while passing her several napkins.

Tina shrugs and plucks the cherry from atop her ice cream. “I dunno….” She closes her lips over the fruit, pulling out the stem. “Sometimes simple is best.” She smirks at him. “Careful – you’re dripping.”

Recalled to his senses, Newt catches the runnel with his tongue. “You may have a point, but I’d need more proof.”

“Oh?” She swirls her own tongue around the treat, turning the cone for maximum coverage. “What can I do to convince you?” She essays a slow lick up the side, never taking her eyes from his and ending with a flourish.

Newt clears his throat roughly. “That’s a good start,” he rumbles and lifts his own cone. He samples it in a series of long, slow licks, ending with a swirl before dragging his tongue back down. He sucks up the residue, wrapping his lips around it to taste before chasing the flavor around his mouth. Then he leans in to kiss her, touching her tongue with his before pulling back with a self-satisfied smirk.

“You’re right,” she decides and rakes her eyes over his lean frame. “That’s _much_ better than vanilla.”

“I know something else,” he purrs and dips his head to press her earlobe between his teeth. “Something even sweeter, if you can believe it. And warm – so _very_ warm. Like honey…” He presses his tongue against her until she moans, stomach trembling when he fans his hand over it before sliding lower, stopping just short of where she’d like his touch most. “And you, my darling, carry the hive with you...I’d like a taste, I think. If I may. Tonight, perhaps?”

Tina tosses the remainder of her cone into the water before touching her wand, wordlessly casting a series of privacy, protection, disillusionment and cleansing charms before grasping his wrist. “What about right now?” She twitches herself into his hand to prove the point, gasping at the hint of friction where she burns like a torch before catching his eye.

Newt falls to his knees without question, pushing the hem of her dress around her waist while peppering her inner thighs with kisses. Tina tucks the loose fabric into her corselet with a moan, winding her fingers through his hair as he teases her with nips and damp kisses, working closer and closer to her overheated center.

“I can _smell_ you,” he growls and presses his nose into her damp curls to inhale deeply. “You want this. You want _me_.”

“Yes.” It comes out a broken sigh, her thighs trembling against his cheeks.

He teases her with light, almost delicate brushes as he kisses the length of her seam, pressing his tongue into where she is wettest to earn her moan before dragging it through her folds. She gasps and trembles as he tastes her, alternating eager laps with tentative touches, probing deep to drink from her hive before spreading her open with his thumbs, exposing her to the cooler air, and wrapping his lips around her clit to _suck_.

Her orgasm surges from someplace deep and primal, catching them both off guard when she sinks her fingernails into his shoulders, twitching against his lips as pleasure courses through her. He moans at the height of it, easily supporting her weight as she gasps and trembles before helping her come down, releasing her with a wet sound to dapple her stomach.

“I wasn’t intending to make you come,” he murmurs into her corset. “Only to have a taste…” Above them, the first fireworks brighten the sky.

Tina sighs, stroking his hair. “Would it make you feel better if I said I still wanted you?”

“Yes.” He stands, setting her dress to rights before taking her hand. “And I wouldn’t mind another taste.” He makes a show of licking his lips, which are still redolent with her essence before turning them toward home.

* * *

They land on the porch, arms wrapped around each other as Newt turns his face toward the sky to watch the fireworks. “Lovely,” he murmurs, and Tina makes a noncommittal sound of agreement before tugging him to the porch swing. He sits down without freeing her hand, expecting her to join him.

She pools herself at his feet instead, situated between his knees, and calms her pounding heart with a few deep breaths as his eyebrows hide in his hair. “Tina?”

She wills the trembling to leave her fingers when she reaches for his clothing, opening his suit jacket, waistcoat and shirt, kissing his smooth stomach before dusting over the placket of his trousers. Newt swallows loudly as she slips each silvery button from its eye, exposing the creamy white of his underwear before reaching inside, finding him already hot and hard, throbbing thickly in her hand. The skin just beneath his jaw pulses to the same rhythm, and he gulps while meeting her eyes.

“You don’t have to, love.” His heartbeat echoes in his voice, making it jag up and down. He reaches out to her, his hand landing on the safe and neutral territory of her shoulder. “I’m perfectly fine without it.”

Tina leans forward in answer, dragging her tongue the length of him as if he were an ice cream before sliding back down, sucking the looser skin at the base between her lips. She takes a carefully measured breath when fear tries to get between them, focusing on his freckles to ground herself in the present before rising up to take him into her mouth, collapsing her cheeks to increase the pressure.

Newt moans, a low, liquid sound that ends with her name. She watches him from beneath her eyelashes as she licks and sucks, sometimes taking him deep to feel him throb against the back of her throat, sometimes lathering the thick vein on the underside with her tongue to savor the way he shivers. His hand slowly works from her shoulder to her neck, freeing her hair from its clip before tangling the strands around his fingers.

He tugs gently and their moans overlap, winding together in the still night air as fireworks burst overhead.

She moves to suck him in again, wrapping her lips around him tight, and he squeezes his eyes shut when it all gets to be too much. He gasps her name and she stops, freeing him after a long, sensual swipe of her tongue to wrap her fingers around him instead, stroking gently.

“Inside,” he mumbles frantically, and she’s unsure if he means inside the cabin or inside _her_ , driven only by a blind imperative. He calms under her continued gentle ministrations, until he reaches for her, pulling her up to kiss her scandalously red mouth. She settles onto his lap, and he groans when he nudges where she is wet and hot before reaching for the hem of her dress.

_”Yes,”_ Tina hisses when he tugs it off to lay on the porch railing. She pushes the straps of her slip past her shoulders, freeing her breasts and allowing him to ring one nipple with his teeth, biting and moaning into her skin. Her hands find his length again, and her thighs squeeze until he’s sliding through her slickness, his tip pressed to her clit as she moans.

“Inside,” she murmurs and catches his eye when she braces herself on his shoulders, her body stretching around him as she sinks down.

Newt buries his face in her cleavage as Tina takes a moment to adjust, sighing when she leans back to plant her palms on his thighs. She rolls her hips to rise over him before sinking back down, sending delicious impact waves through her breasts and making him moan when she clenches, intent on wringing every last bit of pleasure out of him.

“This won’t take long,” she gasps, angling her hips so each thrust stimulates her clit. Newt groans when she trembles around him, his fingernails digging bloodless crescents in her skin as he grimly fights to control his own responses.

“You first,” he counters in a low, strained voice, and slides a hand to her front to help her along, his thumb centered over her perfectly. “I want to watch. I feel I shall die if I come before you, love.”

She groans when he begins to strum her, a heated counterpoint to her focused movements. Tina shakily slumps against his chest as she trembles, thighs quivering in warning when he kisses her. She moans his name, and he nods while moving faster, one hand on her hip to steady them.

“Come for me, darling,” he breathes, and moves his lips to the familiar heart-shaped mole on her neck, kissing and sucking until she keens. “Come on, love, let me feel you...yes, that’s it.”

He waits until the first powerful pulsation moves through her before letting go, groaning her name as she falls apart in his arms. The fireworks above their heads burst in a colorful crescendo as they come, until he chuckles dryly and kisses her sweat-fragrant skin while she blinks the stars out of her eyes.

“What’s so funny?” She knows she’s slurring slightly, slumped against him as a puddle slowly spreads beneath them. He grimaces before flicking his fingers to make it disappear.

“Well,” he says while gathering her in his arms, laying his head atop hers. “It would seem tonight was made for _explosions._ ”

Tina laughs but quietly, too tired to sustain her humor for any amount of time. Newt yawns and presses his cheek into her hair. “We should go to bed,” he croons and is rewarded with a sleepy mewl. He smiles while sliding a hand beneath her bottom. “Shall I carry you, love?” Another lazy sound and he chuckles to himself. “Alright, then.”

Newt wobbles only a little when he makes his feet, not bothering to pick up their scattered clothing as he kicks open the door. A bit of magic sees it closed and locked behind them, and he navigates the sitting room in the dark with ease, trilling a greeting to a sleepy Ladon before depositing Tina on the bed. She curls into a ball, and he takes a moment to tug off her shoes before pushing her hair away from her face. “Do you need the toilet?”

She shakes her head, and Newt kicks off his shoes, trousers, and underwear before curling around her sleepy warmth, tucking his head in the crook of her shoulder while tugging the blankets over them both.

His murmured, “Love you, Tina…” is the last thing she hears before sleep claims her.


	6. In which Mr. and Mrs. Scamander discover the value of a lazy day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newly-married Mr. and Mrs. Scamander enjoy their honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the third part of the Doors series. You don't need to have read the first two stories: "Close Every Door" and "Open Doors," but it would help. Follow us on Tumblr at [@kemara24](http://kemara24.tumblr.com) and [@katiehavok](http://katiehavok.tumblr.com) for updates.
> 
> The book Newt references, "Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods" is real, and you can read it [here](http://www.lumberwoods.com/mainindex.htm). 
> 
> We had a lot of fun writing this and meshing our styles. To that end, we're offering our personal song selections. For this chapter:  
> KatieHavok: Type O Negative- [Love You To Death](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD5No_JRrZw)  
> Kemara: Keith Urban - [Raining on Sunday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgV7RG9Qgvk)

**July 5**

Cruel light presses insistently against her closed eyelids, making Tina groan and turn her face into the pillow. Automatically, she extracts one hand from the covers and reaches for Newt. _My better half, Queenie would say,_ she thinks blearily. But her fumbling fingers encounter only the cool sheet holding no residual warmth. She raises her head and forces her eyes open to make sure. No tousled hair or sleepy blue-green eyes.

Slightly more awake, she sits up and looks around the bedroom. Empty and silent with no sounds from the rest of the house. _Maybe he’s on the porch._ But then she notices his battered case lying open under the window. Reassured, she climbs slowly out of bed, absently noting a faint soreness after their exertions of the day before. _Worth it, though._

She twitches aside the curtain to reveal bucketing rain and tossing waves. _Guess we’re staying in today. I’m sure we can find something to keep ourselves occupied._ Smirking, she delves into the wardrobe and pulls on the blue cotton nightgown Queenie made her and which she has yet to wear. It falls to mid calf and the material is soft against her bare skin.

In the bathroom, she scrubs her face free of the lingering cosmetics and cleans her teeth. Refreshed, she wanders into the living room, to be met by Ladon who launches himself into her arms.

“Good morning!” She cuddles him, stroking his head and smoothing his wings. “We’ve been neglecting you, haven’t we? Want to meet someone new?” She considers asking Newt first but reminds herself that Ladon isn’t a real dragon and unlikely to upset the residents of the case. She carries him back into the bedroom and stands looking down at the open rectangle. “How’re we gonna do this? Can you sit on my shoulder?” He balances there, a warm weight against her neck, golden claws pricking her skin as she climbs down the ladder.

The workshop is empty, door slightly ajar. Tina steps out into “early morning” light and a bustle of assorted noises. A flock of jabberknolls swoops by, and she grabs Ladon just as he launches off her shoulder.

“Oh no, you don’t!” He grumbles but settles down in her arms, content to watch – for the moment.

They find Newt in the mooncalf enclosure, and Tina hesitates in the doorway, admiring the sight. He’s wearing pajama pants and his hair sticks up in a wild tangle all over his head. He turns toward them, and she notes a purple bruise on his neck just under the angle of his jaw. _I did that_ , she thinks with a possessive little thrill.

He catches sight of them at once and finishes throwing out the last of the pellets before sauntering over. His lips are warm, and she relaxes into the kiss until Ladon squeaks, uncomfortably squashed between them. “Good morning, love. I’m sorry you woke up alone. I was going to join you when I finished here.”

“That’s OK. It’s pouring, so we can spend all day in bed if we want to.” She raises an eyebrow suggestively and he grins.

“A day without sea serpents or fireworks? That sounds wonderful. I’m done here, so we can –” He stops and turns her toward the dim light from the habitat entrance, frowning. “What happened here?” He gently touches her shoulder and his fingertips come away red.

She twists her head, trying to see. “Oh, this little rascal wanted to chase the jabberknolls. I guess he scratched me. It’s nothing.”

“I’ll put something on it anyway. It’s a pity it’s raining….salt water has healing properties. Maybe we can go for a swim later if it stops.” He wraps an arm around her waist as they walk back toward the shed.

In Tina’s arms, Ladon struggles to get down. “Go on then.” She sets him on the grass, and they watch as he looks around curiously, snout wiggling as if testing the air.

A brown shape darts from tree to tree, drawing closer. “This should be interesting,” Newt murmurs. He takes her hand, tugging her gently over to the steps. “Sit down, and I’ll get something for your shoulder.”

She does, and he’s back a moment later with a small brown bottle of dittany which he dabs on the scratches, healing them instantly. She thanks him with a kiss to one stubbled cheekbone until something catches her eye. "Look!"

Unable to resist Ladon’s golden plumage, the niffler has crept steadily toward where the little dragon and Dougal are making friends. He reaches a paw towards a gleaming scale, and Ladon turns at once, tail sweeping across the ground and bowling the niffler over. The little creature squeaks in terror and scrambles up, all four paws scrabbling for purchase before racing back to his burrow.

Tina and Newt burst out laughing and the disappointed expression on Ladon’s face makes it even funnier. His head droops and his whole being radiates dejection.

“Come here, baby.” Tina holds out a hand and the dragon trundles over to sniff disinterestedly at her fingers. “Once he gets used to you I bet he won’t leave you alone.”

Newt reaches over and smooths a blue pinion. “I can guarantee that.” He twines Tina’s pale fingers with his own brown ones. “So would you like breakfast or….” He lets the sentence trail off.

She pretends to think about it, admiring the contrast of their hands: light and tanned, smooth and rough. “Let’s go back to bed – it’s still early.”

“Not sleepy, are you?” He stands, pulling her easily to her feet so they stand face-to-face.

“Nope.” This kiss is hungrier, and she leans into it, panting when they finally separate.

He glances into the workshop at the bed where they spent so many hours discovering each other before their marriage. “Here, or….”

“Let’s go upstairs. I want to open the window and listen to the rain while you love me.”

“What an excellent idea, Mrs. Scamander.” He looks down at their feet where Dougal is comforting Ladon, running long, soothing fingers over his feathers and scales. “He’ll be alright down here.”

“Okay.” Tina leads him into the shed and over to the ladder. She starts to climb, stopping halfway when she realizes he’s not behind her. “Aren’t you coming?”

He’s standing at the foot, watching her with an intense gaze that makes her weak in the knees. He licks his lips before speaking. “Yes, I’m just enjoying the view.”

She giggles, suddenly aware of her bare nether regions under the loose gown. “Well, hurry up or I might have to start without you.” She turns and continues to climb, adding a bit of extra sway to her hips upon hearing him behind her.

Just before she pushes herself out of the case, Newt steps up so they’re standing on the same rung. His chest presses flush to her back and his lips are hot against the nape of her neck as he whispers. “I think I’d like to watch that.”

She shudders when his teeth graze her earlobe. “Come on then.”

A flick of her wand has the curtains open and the window sash up. The scents of wet and green things drift through the screen, while the surf and rain blend into a seamless unending susurrus cocooning them in white noise.

Newt’s strong arms encircle her waist, and she leans back against him, tilting his head as he resumes his attention on her other earlobe. “That tickles.”

He chuckles and the vibrations make her shiver again. “Good.” He slides his palms up her torso and down again in a steady rhythm. “I haven’t seen this nightgown before – I like it.” He pauses at the top of his arc to cup her breasts

Tina sags against him, trusting his sturdy frame to hold her up. Her whole body feels simultaneously languid and energized as he presses his lips to her shoulder. His clever fingers close over her nipples, squeezing lightly. “Mmmm….A wedding-night gift from Queenie.”

Newt moves his lips to the heart-shaped mole on her neck. “Remind me to thank her, but I think I’d like it better off at the moment.”

“Me too.” Tina raises her arms and lets him slip the garment over her head. His hands resume their stroking against her bare skin until she turns to face him. “Now, you.” She fumbles with deliberate slowness at the tie holding his pajama pants closed.

“Tease,” he says, bending his head forward to watch as his own hands settle on her waist. “You like to torment me, don’t you?”

She smirks. “Turnabout is fair play.” With a final tug, the pants loosen and slide down his slim hips where he kicks them aside to join her gown in a crumpled pile. “Much better.”

He hums in agreement when she reaches down to stroke him. “Will you let me watch you, Tina?”

She hesitates, but the love in his eyes reassures here. “Alright. Lie down with me?” She tugs him gently toward the bed.

“Of course, love.” He goes with her eagerly, pulling her into another kiss as they sink down onto the tangle of sheets and quilt. When they part to breathe, he tucks a lock of hair behind her ear in the now-familiar gesture. “You’re beautiful.”

She touches his cheek in turn, throat suddenly tight. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." He rests a warm hand on her thigh and sits up so he can see her properly. "Please?"

"You know, the last time I did this, I couldn't sleep." She rests her hand over his for a moment before continuing upward. She shifts her legs further apart so she has more room, holding her breath as she brushes her fingers through her curls.

"Really?" Newt's eyes flick between her hand and her face, watching avidly.

"Mmm-hmmm." Her hips twist as she dips inside with one finger, gathering moisture. "I was imagining a dragon and counting its scales." She strokes the dampness over and around, circling herself in practiced brushes. "And then the dragon turned into you."

He's leaning forward, mouth slightly open, his palm unconsciously stroking her leg in time to her fingers. "You did say I'm your dragon."

"You _are_." Her body hums with tension but her own touch is no longer enough. She reaches for him with damp fingers. "Come here...."

He moves into the circle of her arm while reaching down to stroke her, slipping a finger inside to tease as she hums and dapples his shoulder. “That’s nice,” she sighs, and he raises an eyebrow while lifting his finger to his mouth, playfully sucking it clean.

“Indeed it is,” he murmurs, popping his lips. “May I taste?”

She nods breathlessly, leaning back until he catches her wrist to squeeze gently. “Something different, I think,” he says, eyes gleaming. “Can you roll onto your stomach for me?”

Intrigued and tingling with renewed anticipation, Tina hugs the pillow as he parts her legs to kneel between them before draping his hands over her shoulders. Calloused palms rasp quietly as he touches her in expanding circles, igniting her center and soothing her muscles in targeted swipes.

“This wasn’t _quite_ what I had in mind when I asked you back to bed,” she murmurs, “but I’m okay with it, I think.”

Newt chuckles while leaning to kiss the knobs of her spine, making her gasp. He slides his hands down to her bottom, pinching and squeezing her full cheeks before scooping his hands beneath her. “Can you rise up on your knees for me, love?”

Tina does as he asks, curving her back to thrust her bottom in the air as he hums and pets her lunar curve. “ _Very_ nice,” he breathes, scraping his teeth gently over where she is fullest as his hands slip into the crux of her thighs. He teases her, dipping into her moisture to spread it around before moving away as she presses her face into the mattress to muffle her needy whine.

Newt moves behind her, and she closes her eyes when he circles her with his fingers. He angles his wrist to press against her entrance with his thumb, making her gasp and bite down on the pillow as her hips press _back_ , desperate for contact.

“Patience,” he chides gently, as something hot and hard pressed against her swell, making her gasp. “I know what you need, love.”

_”Mercy Lewis…”_ Her hips tremble as she restrains the urge to press, fisting the sheets.

A warm chuckle sounds from behind her, and his hand leaves her to trail a path of moisture to her hip, where he squeezes. “What have I told you about saying other people’s names while we’re in bed, Tina?” He uses his other hand to grasp his length, slotting into the cleft between her legs to slick it before nudging where she is most sensitive, teasing her without compunction.

“Sorry,” she gasps and chokes down a moan. “Newt. Newt, _please!_ ”

“Now, there’s no need to beg,” he says mildly, nudging her entrance before anchoring forward, sliding in full and warm and making her nerve-endings light up in pleasure. He repositions his hand from her hip to between her legs, brushing her as he settles his other hand in the small of her back. She feels his shaky exhale when he partially withdraws, hoarsely murmuring, “Move with me, darling,” before sinking back in, making her hum.

“Yes, yes, _yes_ ,” she hisses when he finds his rhythm, relaxing her back and arching her hips to better receive his thrusts. His hand grips her tight when the other circles faster, making her gasp as they flow together like the tide until orgasm rises up to sweep her away.

Newt growls when she thrums around him before gripping her hips to better angle his thrusts, prolonging it until she gasps and begs for him to stop.

He does so immediately, rubbing soothing circles into her skin until she catches her breath. She cranes her head over her shoulder to find him smiling slightly, watching her through heavy, unsatisfied eyes. Her back aches when she leans forward to uncouple them, moaning at the loss of pressure while scrambling to recline against the pillows.

“Come here,” she whispers, reaching for him. Newt goes into her arms to bring them back together, pressing between her legs in search of his own release. She strokes his back, shoulders and arms as he dapples her jaw and neck with kisses, murmuring into her skin until he gasps and hides his face, body trembling.

He lifts his head with a dazed smile moments later, and she works out the tangles in his hair to the pleasant backdrop of the falling rain.

“Good morning, darling,” Newt murmurs, and brushes her lips with her own.

“The _best_ kind,” she agrees, and grins while stretching beneath him, watching his eyebrow quirk as her muscles tense and relax. “Are you hungry yet?”

“Starved, actually,” he admits and pets her shoulder. “My _lovely_ wife quite likes to sap the energy out of me first thing, I’ve noticed.” He shifts slightly, causing him to wilt and slither out of her, and they share a look before dissolving into laughter. A flick of his fingers cleans them both up, and he rocks onto his haunches to stretch with a low groan before reaching for her. “Up you get!”

Tina kisses him, lightly embracing his shoulders. “Pancakes?”

Newt hums, sounding pleased. “Mmm. And eggs, if you would.” He kisses the inner swell of her breast, tasting her light sweat. “I’ve rather...worked up an appetite, I’m afraid.”

“Eggs it is,” she says with a wink and adds an extra sway to her hips as she sashays across the room to her nightgown, hearing him groan and collapse theatrically onto the mattress. She’s still laughing when she leaves him behind, heading into the kitchen to start breakfast.

* * *

They linger over pancakes and further cups of tea – at the kitchen table for a change – in a sleepy haze of domesticity. Ladon perches in the window, seemingly fascinated by the stormy weather outside.

“I’ll be sorry to leave tomorrow,” Tina says adding milk to her cup. “This has been a wonderful week.” She eyes Newt’s own tea balefully. “How can you drink it straight like that? It’s so bitter!”

He smiles and lifts the cup to her in salute. “The same way you can drink coffee black, my dear.”

She huffs and adds sugar. “That’s different. Coffee is….coffee.”

With a squawk, Ladon topples backward off the sill, his wings catching him just before he hits the floor. The humans look up to see a large barn owl on the other side of the glass, feathers ruffled from the wind.

Newt goes to let it in while Tina scoops up Ladon. “He wasn’t going to eat you, I promise….”

The owl refuses to stay, waiting only long enough for Newt to remove the letter tied to its leg, protected from the wet by an Impervious charm, and accept a bit of sausage before soaring back out the window.

“Looks like it’s for you.”

Newt passes Tina the letter, and she takes a moment to admire the words on the envelope, “Mrs. Newton Scamander,” before removing the parchment it contains and reading the missive aloud.

_Auror Scamander,_

_This letter is to formally inform you that you have been medically cleared to return to duty as an auror with the Magical Congress of the United States of America, effective the first of July, 1927._

_At this time, you will remain stationed in New York City under my direct command. The particulars of the assignment we spoke of are taking longer than my MoM counterpart and I initially anticipated. That’s bureaucracy for you._

_That said, get it touch with me when you return to New York. I believe we may have a consolation prize for you and your husband which will suit you both admirably. You might research Wisconsin and Minnesota if you’re so inclined._

_I look forward to meeting with you,_

_Percival Graves_

“Oh, Theseus added a postscript at the bottom _. ‘P.S. – Do try and remember to eat and drink plenty of water, and plan to step into the sun at least once over the course of your honeymoon. If my brother gets any pastier he'll start to blend in with the whitewash (speckled though he may be!) P.P.S. – Newton, point your toes toward yourself to relieve a charley-horse. You're welcome.’_ And Graves says, _‘P.P.P.S. – Tina, please burn this when you're through reading it. I'd hate for MACUSA upper-crust to think that we approve of this sort of banter in any official capacity’.”_

Newt shakes his head and takes the letter from her to read it himself. “Theo, you’re such an arse,” he mutters, scanning the lines. “Wisconsin and Minnesota…..and something for both of us….”

Tina shrugs. “I bet there are reports of strange creatures wherever they want us to go. I hunt down the bad guys, you find the beasts.” She takes the letter back from him and holds it down for Ladon a set alight. “Good dragon.”

Happy to be useful, Ladon wiggles and even deigns to allow Newt to pet him before sauntering into the sitting room, tail swishing behind him. Tina watches him go with a quirked eyebrow, only to turn to her husband. She’s treated to the sight of Newt lit up from within, eyes bright with unholy glee. “North American creatures, Tina,” he murmurs, sliding an arm around her waist. “Hopefully, none of them are too intent on killing us.”

Tina sighs. “I thought we were going to have at least one day free from murderous beasts?”

He looks surprised. “We are! But that doesn’t mean we can’t research them. I have just the book – let me go get it….” And he hurries into the bedroom

Shaking her head in exasperation, Tina tidies up the breakfast dishes and wanders into the sitting room where Ladon waits hopefully in front of the cold hearth. “Good idea!” She starts a fire in the grate and the little dragon curls up happily in front of the blaze.

She steps into the bedroom, but there’s no sign of Newt. Smiling, she takes a book with a brightly illustrated cover from an inner pocket of her suitcase and returns to the sitting room. She’s just summoned a tray of drinks and snacks, including the decadent remnants of the fudge, when Newt returns, juggling several books and maps. He helps himself to a cup of tea and a handful of grapes before sitting beside her, spreading the maps over the low table.

“Do you know anything about Minnesota or Wisconsin?” Newt uses his wand to draw a rough box around the two states in question. With a tap, they enlarge to fill the paper, major cities and landmarks delineated by stars.

Tina drags a patchwork throw off the back of the sofa and tucks it around herself before leaning forward to study the map. “Not really. I’ve been to the Minnesota field office to consult – it’s here by the way.” She taps her wand on the city and shows Newt the spot. “We went to lunch, so I can apparate us. I suppose Graves might be able to get us clearance, but I get the feeling my part in this needs to be kept secret.”

“So we’ll still be on our honeymoon, then?” Newt looks up from the map, curious.

“I doubt it. More probably, I’ll turn in my resignation now that I’m married, and we’ll say that I’m going to travel the world with you looking for magical creatures.” She grins at him. “Which is all true.”

He leans forward and kisses her. “Are you alright with that?”

She pops a grape into her mouth and shrugs. “It’s just a cover story. And after everything….” She bites her lip and takes a deep breath before continuing. “It would make sense. I haven’t been in the office to work since March, after all.”

“That’s true.” He wraps an arm around her, so she’s leaning against his side. “Anything else?”

“Hmmm....it’s mostly forests over there. The field office isn’t very big, but they don’t really do much outside the city. As for Wisconsin….” she shrugs. “We’ll have to ask Mr. Graves ‘cause I don’t have a clue.”

He nods. “I picked up a few reference books before my first trip here. This one is wonderful!” He hands her a small, chunky volume with a green cloth cover.

“Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods With a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts,” Tina reads. She pages to the table of contents. “Splinter Cat, Hodag, Agropelter….Are these magical creatures or no-maj folklore?”

“That’s what I want to find out!” Newt’s eyes are bright with excitement. He jumps up and begins to pace around the room. Ladon watches him cautiously. “That book was published in 1913. Mr. Worme gave me a copy when he commissioned my work – to use as a starting point, he said. I suspect some of them are merely tall tales, but if any of them are magical…..”

Tina feels a rush of affection for her husband. His enthusiasm is contagious, and she finds herself remembering explorations on Mount Greylock with her Thunderbird housemates. “We’ll see what we can find, then!”

They spend the next couple of hours making notes and lists of creatures before narrowing their focus down to four: the Teakettler, Axehandle Hound, Hodag and Wendigo.

“I’m not sure about the Wendigo,” Tina says, sipping from a fresh cup of tea. “The natives in the area might not like us poking around.”

Lost in his research, Newt doesn’t hear her.

Smiling ruefully, Tina lays aside her notes and curls up on the opposite corner of the sofa. Ladon flaps over and settles on top of her feet like a small heater. “I’ll just read my own book, then,” she murmurs, reaching for the bright paperback.

It’s not long before she’s giggling and snickering loudly enough that Newt finally looks up, baffled.

“What the bloody hell are you reading?”

She turns the cover so he can see picture on the cover – a scantily-clad witch and wizard locked in an amorous embrace against the backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. The title screams The Cauldron and the Rogue in large, pink letters. “It’s a series. I’ve been reading them since I was in school. We used to pass them around the girls’ dormitory and read the best parts out loud.”

He raises an eyebrow at that. “The best parts?”

“Like….this….” She turns to a certain page where the corner has been turned down so often it has a permanent crease. Clearing her throat she reads, _“Her buxom breasts heaved like a frothy, stormy sea, and her pointed nipples were like rapacious sea urchins washed ashore.”_

Newt looks puzzled. "You know, sea urchin is a delicacy in Japan...but why on Earth would there be any in Scotland?"

Tina glares. “You’re missing the point!” She flips to another page. “Here, I like this part, too. _‘A smoldering burn of damp ecstasy flowed through her core. She felt herself turning wetter, sopping him with the honeyed elixir only he could effortlessly tease from her...her...’_.” Tina shakes her head, feeling her cheeks turn red. “I can’t say that word, but I’m sure you can imagine!”

He pulls the book out of her hand, shaking his head. “It that were true, she would have moss growing. What sort of book is this? You said you read it at school? It sounds dangerous.”

She leans forward and snatches it back. “It’s a romance! It’s supposed to be sexy and romantic.”

Newt frowns, but a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “If that’s your definition of romantic, I see I have my work cut out for me. Please continue so I’ll know what I’m up against,”

Tina glares, but the twitching of her lips gives her away. She gives in to a smirk, only to turn to a page that’s especially finger-marked and creased. “ _‘The primal female scent of her was an aphrodisiac to his senses, drugging them with an erotic, floral nectar.’_ "

Newt rolls his eyes expressively and Tina continues, giggling. “ _‘Opening like a rose in the warmth of his summer sun, her petals unfolded for him. Passion gripped them, banishing all thoughts. His fingers were wholly magical, commanding her to the ancient dance of love. His expert touch sent her up to the blazing sun, where she melted before tumbling back to earth.’_ ”

Laughing, Newt springs to his feet to prop one foot on the coffee table, putting a fisted hand on his waist and throwing his shoulders back to mimic the book’s cover. Adopting a Scottish brogue, he intones without a trace of irony, “Och – then he took his great pilloring cock stand and stuffed it up her wee flowering fuckhole to plunder her secret garden, until the lass shook and begged, and, er – oh. Oh, bloody hell.”

He sends her a slightly panicked look when his brain catches up to his mouth, and she takes a moment to cherish the sudden roses blooming in his cheeks, his obvious embarrassment for her sake before dissolving into wild, snorting laughter, wrapping her arm around her waist until her sides ache. “Y-you said f-flower...f-flowering fuh-fuh –” She’s laughing too hard to get the words out, and she muffles her mirth with a couch cushion as Newt shakes his head, the humor of the situation finally catching up to him, chuckling breathlessly when he perches at her side.

“Owww….Oh, I hurt!” Tina straightens up, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. “I think I broke a rib.”

Dislodged from his place, Ladon huddles by the fire, and watches them both with what can only be called a glare.

Newt leans close to whisper. “Don’t look now, but someone disapproves of our shenanigans.”

Tina sneaks a peek at the glowering dragon and dissolves into giggles again. Ladon sniffs dismissively before laying his snout on his tail and closing his eyes.

“Come on, wife. It’s stopped raining.” Newt helps Tina stagger to her feet. “Shall we have one last swim before we leave?”

Still unsteady and gasping, she wraps an arm around his waist as they toddle out to the porch. The earlier clouds have been replaced by blue skies and a blazing orange sun beginning to set.

Tina looks around as Newt squints into the sky. She waits for his head to turn before stepping out of the ring of his arms, shedding her nightgown in one swift movement to leave it hanging over the porch rail. She senses more than sees Newt’s mouth fall open, his eyebrows burying in his hairline as she takes the steps at the light jog.

“Come on!” she calls over her shoulder, delighting in the feel of a salt-tinged breeze on her breasts and belly. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to do this in the first place?”

A joyous shout rises behind her, and she’s grinning when she splashes into the water – only for something large, solid and male to wrap around her from behind. Strong arms hook into the bend of her knees as he leverages her upright, and her sides ache anew when he lifts and carries her into the deeper water, only to drop her unceremoniously.

She splutters to the surface just in time to see a twinkle of ass, thigh and foot dive beneath the waves. Tina pushes the hair out of her eyes as she looks around for him, until a sleek head surfaces mere feet away, smiling while swimming over to her.

Newt slides an arm around her waist, and they bob together gently as he kisses her.

“I’m gonna miss this,” she admits once they’ve parted. She lays her head on his chest, and he kisses her hair.

“You know…” he begins slowly, “there is one other way we could make a, er, lasting memory.” She lifts her face to his curiously, and he kisses her much more deeply before steering them to shore. “Yes,” he murmurs against her lips. “I...earlier, you wanted to hear me against the rain? Tonight, I should like to see you against the sand, beneath the sun.”

He kisses her again, winding around her, and they stumble into the shallow waters before he mumbles a few spells and lays her back. The sand is sun-warm beneath her shoulders and back, the cool waves lapping at their feet as he kisses a path down her body. She sighs happily when he takes the time to lave her breasts before pressing his tongue into her navel, swirling wetly as she parts her legs to allow him to move between them.

“You smell like the sea,” he murmurs, kissing her inner thigh. He touches her with light fingertips, fleeting brushes that tease and inflame until, with another murmured spell, he presses a slick finger into her to the first knuckle.

She gasps, and he lifts his head just long enough to smirk, “You’re not the only one who can use a lubricating spell,” before retreating and pressing deeper, gradually building a rhythm. He waits until she’s breathing heavily, legs tensing beneath him to add a second finger, leaning in to lazily swirl his tongue over her.

He alternates his mouth between where his fingers sink into her and the skin of her hips and thighs until she squeezes his shoulders, trembling slightly. “Come here,” she murmurs, sighing when he takes his time covering her, kissing his way to her mouth before urging her legs around his waist.

“Like this?” he murmurs, eyes lit up with the sunset. She cups his cheek to admire him before nodding, capturing him in a grounding kiss as he slicks himself before easing inside, earning a delighted sigh.

Tina slides her arms around his shoulders as he begins to rock them together, his mouth peppering her throat and jaw before he tips his head back to catch her eyes. She touches the tip of her tongue to her upper lip as he moves faster, delighting in his sharp inhale before he murmurs her name.

Her hips begin to move in counterpoint beneath him, and he groans while tipping his forehead against hers, sighing, “Yes, darling – just like that.” He dips his chin to drag his teeth along her collarbone, and she shudders as the first lick of heat curls through her. Newt shifts to slide an elbow beneath her knee, rocking her pelvis back, and she moans and closes her eyes, head falling back as she crests.

Newt breathes, “I love you, I love you –” into her skin as he’s swept alongside her, threading their fingers when he shudders to completion. The crash of the waves covers their panting breaths, until he pillows his head on her bosom to trace lazy shapes over her stomach. “That was good,” he murmurs, and kisses her rosy nipple. “Thank you, darling.”

She lightly drags her fingernails over his back, delighting in his goosebumps. “Oh, it was my pleasure.”

A seagull wheels overhead, cawing loudly, and Newt sends it a baleful glare. “You lot are just vultures with a coat of paint,” he growls, and climbs to his knees. He stands to extend a hand and help her up, catching her in a soulful kiss before leading her back into the water.

They spend a few minutes splashing around like children, mouths full of laughter as the sea washes away the evidence of their love. Newt’s just taken her in his arms for another distracting kiss when a sudden, stronger wave breaks over them, causing them to look around. Tina experiences a moment of mindless panic as something huge and dark rears out of the water, clutching her husband until benign eyes blink down at them, a familiar snout leaning in for a greeting pat.

“Hello, there,” Newt murmurs, and smiles at Tina until she loosens her hold on him. Color floods her face when she remembers that she is without the benefit of clothing, only to feel absurd as her husband moves his hand to Atlanta’s cheek, petting her in long, slow strokes.

“Like that, do you?” he grins, and sounds so pleased that Tina moves past him to pat her snout.

“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Tina says regretfully, and is rewarded with a fishy-smelling snort. She nods and curiously rubs a pebbly nostril. “We don’t want to go, but we have to; Newt has to return to work, and I miss my sister.” Newt hums from beside her, and Atlanta makes a small sound deep in her throat before lifting her head to regard them both.

Newt waves his hand to produce a fish, holding it over his head with a smile. “We’ll come back,” he promises, and reaches out to take Tina’s hand. “Every year, if we can, right around this time.”

Atlanta snorts again, deep enough to create ripples in the water. Newt laughs when he tosses the fish her way, which she catches on the fly before turning and disappearing beneath the waves. They watch her go, arms around each other’s waists as the sea returns to calm ripple.

“Well,” he says finally, and Tina pretends to ignore how thick his voice is. “At least she didn’t –”

A segmented tail rises from the deep to smack the water, the hardest yet. The sea rushes toward them, and Newt sighs heavily in resignation before they are swamped, clinging to her as the waves knock them over. They surface sputtering and very wet, but with laughter in their mouths, and kiss again before finally turning back toward shore.

“You have that effect on the ladies, you know,” Tina teases, and pushes coppery tendrils out of his face. “We have to do our best to keep you in line.”

“There’s only one lady I’m worried about, and I’m aware she has her work cut out for her,” he rejoins, and Tina blinks away saltwater when he frames her face and kisses her, there in the sand and waves, until the sun sinks below the horizon.

* * *

Newt draws them a bath as Tina uses her wand to pack, Summoning their clothes to wrap and fold in mid-air before directing them into their suitcases. She debates over Ladon’s terrarium before shrugging and shrinking he and it down for the night, setting them on top of her case after setting up clothes for the morrow.

“We’re going back to New York,” she tells the little dragon with a note of regret. He sends sparks her way before retreating into his cave. Nonplussed, she magics away the last of the sand and smoothes the sheets before heading into the bathroom.

Her husband is waiting for her with a tentative smile and a warm hug. They bathe together, sharing the task of washing backs and hair until the water is tepid and their fingers look like prunes. He dries her with a fluffy towel before turning it on himself, then follows her into the bedroom to climb between the cool, crisp sheets.

“Are you happy, darling?” he asks, carding his fingers through her damp hair.

Tina thinks of sun and sand, of crabs and odd no-maj women. She thinks of sea creatures both great and terrible, of a happily crowded town and the complete solitude of a private beach at noontime. She remembers the sun in her husband’s eyes, and the glimmer of a golden pinion on a cloudy day.

“Perfectly,” she whispers, and closes her eyes.


End file.
